Trump has made a mix of hostile and occasionally softer public comments about Barack and Michelle Obama over the years, but the latest controversy is about a racist video he shared depicting them in a demeaning way and then refusing to apologize for it.

Latest incident: racist video of the Obamas

  • In early February 2026, Trump’s social media account shared a video that portrayed Barack and Michelle Obama as primates in a jungle, a racist trope widely condemned as dehumanizing.
  • The post was removed after backlash, including criticism of the White House’s initial defense of the video.
  • Trump told reporters he would not apologize, saying “I didn’t make a mistake” when asked about posting the video while traveling to Florida.

This is the most recent and explicit example of what Trump has “said” or communicated about the Obamas: a racist depiction amplified to his audience, followed by a refusal to express regret.

How this fits his longer pattern with the Obamas

  • Trump has a long history of antagonistic behavior toward Barack Obama, including leading the false “birther” conspiracy that questioned whether Obama was legitimately president.
  • At a 2024 rally in Atlanta, after Michelle Obama criticized his competence and mental fitness, Trump called her a “hater” and pushed back by claiming he had tried to be polite and respectful, even as that history of birther attacks was noted.
  • In the same late‑2024 campaign stretch, other coverage highlighted him describing Michelle Obama as “nasty” when lashing out at critics on the trail.

So while Trump occasionally claims he “respects” the Obamas in more controlled interviews, his public speeches and social media behavior frequently attack or demean them, and the 2026 racist video is an escalation of that pattern.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.