California Gov. Gavin Newsom sharply rebuked President Donald Trump after the president briefly shared a racially offensive video on social media, calling the episode disgraceful and urging Americans across the political spectrum to condemn it. The exchange marked the latest flashpoint in a long-running national debate over race, political rhetoric and the boundaries of presidential conduct.
Racist tropes coming from the President should disgust every American. pic.twitter.com/a6mH0vTD11
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 10, 2026
In a video response, Newsom criticized both the content of the post and the administration’s explanation for how it was shared. “The President of the United States sending out a racist trope should disgust every human being in this room, everyone. I don’t care if you’re Democrat, Republican, Independent, you, you know, watched Kid Rock this weekend or Bad Bunny, you should be disgusted by the behavior of the President of the United States, and then I’ll extend it. The behavior included trying to lay out some anonymous staff member, if you believe that, lying to the American people, putting out a racist trope. Disgraceful!” he said. The caption accompanying his remarks read: “Racist tropes coming from the President should disgust every American.”
The criticism came after Trump reposted a 62-second video on his Truth Social account late Thursday night that included a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The video also referenced conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. The post drew condemnation from Democrats and from members of Trump’s own party. It was later deleted.
BREAKING: Full video that briefly appeared on President Trump’s TruthSocial post. pic.twitter.com/eLLD8yjxmq
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 6, 2026
Facing questions from reporters, Trump defended his record on racial issues and distanced himself from the most controversial portion of the clip. “I am, by the way, the least racist president you’ve had in a long time,” he said, pointing to criminal justice reform legislation passed during his administration and long-term funding for historically Black colleges and universities. “Look, we did criminal justice reform. I did historically Black colleges and universities — I got them funded. Nobody has been, and that’s why I got a tremendous — the highest vote with male Black voters that they’ve seen in many, many decades. I’ve done great with Black voters. They’ve been great to me. I’ve been great to them.”
Trump: I’m the least racist president you’ve had in a long time as far as I’m concerned. pic.twitter.com/eZ5JIBf5RM
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 7, 2026
Trump described criminal justice reform as “maybe more important than anything else” and argued that his administration had provided consistent support for HBCUs that previous administrations had not.
The episode marked a rare instance in which Trump retreated from a social media post following criticism from both parties. It also reignited scrutiny over the use of racially charged imagery in political discourse, an issue that has surfaced repeatedly in recent election cycles and continues to shape the broader national conversation about race and leadership.
Newsom’s response underscored how quickly the controversy escalated beyond partisan lines, framing the matter as one of basic standards for presidential conduct rather than political disagreement. As the 2026 election cycle intensifies, disputes over rhetoric, race and accountability are likely to remain central to the political landscape.
