President Donald Trump told reporters that he is “the least racist president you’ve had in a long time.” He made this statement even though he was facing major criticism for a racially charged social media post. The comment came during a press meeting aboard Air Force One as the president traveled to Mar-a-Lago.
According to Mediaite, the controversy started after President Trump’s account on Truth Social posted a video the night before. The video was quickly criticized by people across the political spectrum. It was a mashup that started with baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, but the controversial part was a short clip at the end.
That clip featured AI-generated footage that placed the faces of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama onto the bodies of apes. When reporters asked about the post, President Trump refused to apologize. He said, “No, I didn’t make a mistake.”
Trump’s defense highlights the dangerous misuse of AI technology
He tried to distance himself from the offensive clip, claiming that someone else was responsible for inserting it. The president explained that he had initially focused on the overall message of the footage, which was about election integrity.
“What I saw in the beginning [of the video] was really, really strong,” Trump said. “It was about fraudulent elections. Anytime I see that stuff, and when it’s credible, you put it up. But somebody slipped and missed a very small part… That was a very strong truth.”
He then defended his record, arguing that the controversy didn’t reflect reality. “I’ve done great with black voters,” he said. “They’ve been great to me, I’ve been great to them.” He finished his defense by repeating his main claim: “I am, by the way, the least racist president you’ve had in a long time, as far as I’m concerned.”
The White House initially tried to brush off the incident. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage.” She claimed the post was simply an “Internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle.”
However, that defense didn’t last long. Just a few hours after Leavitt’s comments, the controversial video was deleted from the president’s social media account. An unnamed White House staffer was then blamed for having made an “erroneous” post. The backlash was immediate and serious, extending far beyond the usual political critics. Members of Congress from both parties condemned the video as overtly racist.
This incident comes as Trump has been calling for unprecedented Republican control of the voting process ahead of the midterm elections. Former Trump Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney noted the severe discomfort among his former colleagues.
He said he “talked to several [GOP] House members that are just besides themselves” over the post and the president’s response. Mulvaney added that these lawmakers “don’t know how they’re going to handle it” as they prepare for the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance has recently discussed Trump’s position outside America’s elite social circles.
Published: Feb 7, 2026 01:45 pm