Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Donald Trump Jr. for defending his father’s social media activity, saying in a post, “Your dad has no obligation to post racist memes. I wish someone would tell him that.” Schumer’s remarks came in response to Trump Jr.’s comment on a post that had been taken down by former President Donald Trump earlier the same day. Trump Jr. had written, “You have no obligation to comment on literally everything on the internet. I wish someone would tell them that,” referring to Schumer’s earlier condemnation of the post.
Your dad has no obligation to post racist memes. I wish someone would tell him that. https://t.co/gU6xbe7dQA
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 7, 2026
The controversy centers on a video clip President Trump shared late Thursday night that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The clip, set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” also promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and was part of a larger series of posts made by Trump in a late-night social media flurry. The video was widely criticized as blatantly racist, drawing outrage not only from Democrats but also prompting unusual public rebukes from members of Trump’s own party.
BREAKING: Full video that briefly appeared on President Trump’s TruthSocial post. pic.twitter.com/eLLD8yjxmq
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 6, 2026
Schumer had initially reacted strongly, describing the post as “Racist. Vile. Abhorrent. This is dangerous and degrades our country—where are Senate Republicans?” He called on the president to delete the video and apologize to the Obamas, whom Schumer described as “two great Americans who make Donald Trump look like a small, envious man.”
President Trump later deleted the video amid the backlash but did not offer a full apology. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he claimed he had only viewed the beginning of the clip, saying, “I just looked at the first part, it was about voter fraud in some place, Georgia. I didn’t see the whole thing.” He also suggested that someone else had posted the video on his behalf, telling reporters, “I gave it to the people, generally they’d look at the whole thing but I guess somebody didn’t.” When pressed on whether he had made a mistake, Trump replied, “No, I didn’t make a mistake.”
Trump: I saw and just passed it on and I guess probably nobody reviewed the end of it because what I saw at the beginning was really really strong. I didn't do it by the way. This was done by somebody else. This was a retruth. pic.twitter.com/F0qvPv4TRQ
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 7, 2026
The exchange has intensified partisan divisions, with Democrats continuing to condemn the content as racially offensive and harmful, while some Republican figures have largely remained silent or offered muted criticism. The debate underscores ongoing tensions in American politics over social media conduct, racial sensitivity, and accountability for public figures and their families.
