CREW Demands Preservation of Trump's Deleted Racist Truth Social Video Depicting Obamas as Apes
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent a formal letter to the White House and National Archives on February 10, 2026, demanding preservation of a deleted Truth Social video posted by President Trump on February 6, 2026. The video contained debunked 2020 election fraud claims and racist AI-generated images depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle. The post drew swift bipartisan condemnation before being deleted. The White House initially defended the video as part of a "Lion King" spoof, but deleted it after intense backlash. Trump later refused to apologize, stating "I didn't make a mistake," while also claiming a staffer posted it by mistake. CREW invoked the Presidential Records Act, arguing the post must be preserved to ensure accurate historical understanding of Trump's presidency and potential violations of federal records law.
“I didn't make a mistake.” — Trump's response when asked if he would apologize for the racist video depicting the Obamas as apes, despite also claiming a staffer posted it by mistake.
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryCREW's legal action represents a significant accountability mechanism, invoking the Presidential Records Act to preserve evidence of racist content and potential records violations. The deletion of the post after public backlash, combined with Trump's contradictory statements (refusing to apologize while claiming a staffer error), demonstrates a pattern of evading responsibility. This event connects to broader concerns about presidential accountability, digital records preservation, and the normalization of racist rhetoric from the highest office.