SC’s Sen. Tim Scott says video initially shared by President Trump was racist
U.S. Sen Tim Scott, criticized President Donald Trump for posting a video that depicts former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as monkeys.
“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it,” Scott posted on his campaign X account.
The original Trump post was made on Truth Social. The video has since been removed, according to Axios.
Scott, the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, ran for president in the 2024 race but dropped out before the primaries. Trump considered Scott as a potential vice presidential running mate.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Politico the clip came from a longer video that showed Trump as the Lion King and depicted top Democrats as jungle characters.
The minute-long video includes conspiracy theories about voting machines in the 2020 election, cuts to a short clip of the Obamas as monkeys, dancing to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” according to Politico.
Depicting Black people as a monkeys or apes is a racist trope.
One South Carolina official defended the president.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who is running for governor and is hoping to gain Trump’s endorsement for the Republican nomination, shared a post to argue the clip of the Obamas is from a separate video.
“Another case of Trump Derangement Syndrome as media and politicians melt down over two seconds of an auto-generated clip that was clearly posted in error,” Evette posted.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 12:38 PM.
