- Video Content: Donald Trump shared a video on Truth Social depicting Barack Obama with subtitles reading "He played the race card" and Michelle Obama captioned "She played the race card too," using clips from their public speeches.
- Platform Reach: The post, captioned "Look at this!", reached millions, garnering over 12 million impressions, 450,000 likes, and 120,000 reposts on Truth Social within hours.
- Media Coverage: Multiple outlets including Reuters, BBC News, CNN, Fox News, and The New York Times verified the 47-second video, noting its origins on 4chan and spread to X, Rumble, and other platforms.
- Trump's Response: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Trump "shares what he finds noteworthy"; no comments from the Obamas or Truth Social removal as of reports.
- Context: The video echoes Trump's history of sharing race-related content, amid ongoing political discourse post his 2025 inauguration.
Washington (Washington Insider Magazine) February 6, 2026
–
US President Donald Trump shared a video on Truth Social targeting Barack Obama
and Michelle Obama. The post reached millions of followers on the platform.
The video's content has drawn attention from multiple news organisations.
President Donald Trump posted a video on Truth Social featuring Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. The platform, operated by Trump Media & Technology Group, disseminated the content to his subscriber base exceeding 10 million accounts as of early 2026.
The video in question originated from external sources prior to Trump's repost. Reports from Reuters on 5 February 2026 confirmed the post appeared on Trump's account at 14:37 EST. Associated Press journalists verified the video depicted the former first couple in a sequence labelled by some outlets as racially charged.
BBC News reported the video as containing footage from public appearances by the Obamas. Sky News correspondents noted the clip's circulation began on social media platforms including X and Rumble before reaching Truth Social. The Guardian detailed the video's length at 47 seconds, showing Barack Obama speaking followed by Michelle Obama at an event.
Trump captioned the post "Look at this!" according to screenshots published by CNN on 5 February 2026. Fox News confirmed the caption matched the original upload. The New York Times reported the post garnered over 2.5 million views within the first hour.
Truth Social's algorithm prioritised the content to Trump's followers. Bloomberg News stated the platform's reach metrics indicated 8 million impressions by 20:00 EST on the same day. NBC News verified similar figures through public analytics tools.
Multiple outlets attributed the video's initial spread to anonymous accounts. The Washington Post identified the source clip as from a 2018 Barack Obama speech edited with overlaid text. Politico reporters noted Michelle Obama's segment from a 2024 podcast appearance.
The post remained online as of 6 February 2026 morning reports. ABC News confirmed no removal or edit notices from Truth Social. CBS News reported Trump's account activity continued with unrelated posts following the video share.
What Content Did the Video Contain According to Reports?
Reuters described the video as showing Barack Obama at a podium with subtitles reading
"He played the race card."
Michelle Obama's image followed with text stating
"She played the race card too."
The footage used clips from verified public events.
The Associated Press quoted eyewitness verifications from media monitors. The video looped Obama's statement on racial issues from a Chicago rally. Michelle Obama's portion included her comments on family from a Washington DC interview.
BBC News published frame-by-frame breakdowns. The opening 15 seconds featured Obama in suit gesturing during speech. Subtitles appeared in white font over black background. Sky News confirmed audio matched original recordings without alteration.
The Guardian reported the video's resolution at 1080p standard for mobile viewing. CNN analysts noted editing software traces consistent with free tools like CapCut. Fox News aired segments showing the full 47-second runtime.
The New York Times linked the clips to C-SPAN archives from 2018 and 2024 respectively. NBC News confirmed timestamps aligned with event schedules published by White House records.
How Did News Outlets Verify the Truth Social Post?
Journalists from Reuters accessed Trump's public profile directly. Screenshots timestamped 14:37 EST bore Truth Social's orange branding. The Associated Press cross-checked with archived versions via Wayback Machine captures.
BBC News embedded the post in their online article with platform embed code. Sky News reporters screenshotted from multiple devices to confirm visibility. The Guardian used digital forensics to verify no deepfake elements in video frames.
CNN's media team downloaded the file for metadata analysis. Hash values matched across devices reported by Fox News. The Washington Post coordinated with Truth Social's public API for view counts.
Politico cited Trump's history of 1,200-plus posts in 2026 per platform data. ABC News referenced Federal Election Commission filings on Truth Social's user base. CBS News interviewed platform spokespeople who declined comment on specific content.
What Reach Did the Post Achieve on Truth Social?
Bloomberg News reported 12 million impressions by midnight 5 February. NBC News cited internal platform metrics showing 65% engagement rate among views. The post received 450,000 likes and 120,000 reposts per CNN tallies.
Fox News noted Trump's average post reaches 9 million daily. The New York Times tracked real-time analytics hitting 15 million by 6 February morning. Sky News confirmed shares extended to Instagram cross-posts.
The Guardian detailed algorithmic boosts for presidential accounts. Reuters quoted tech analysts estimating 20 million total exposures including forwards. BBC News reported secondary spreads on Telegram channels.
Which Platforms Spread the Video Beyond Truth Social?
After Truth Social, the video appeared on X. The Associated Press tracked 50,000 reposts under #ObamaVideo by evening. Reuters noted Elon Musk's platform suspended three accounts for spam related to the clip.
Rumble hosted unedited versions per Sky News monitoring. The Washington Post identified 200,000 views on the video hosting site. CNN reported Facebook groups amplifying the content to 1 million users.
TikTok removed versions under hate speech policies, according to BBC News. The Guardian confirmed YouTube uploads garnered 300,000 views before Community Guidelines strikes. Fox News aired clips from Gab's reposts.
What Statements Issued from Involved Parties?
Truth Social issued no official response as of 6 February reports. Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Reuters
"The President shares what he finds noteworthy."
No direct comment from Barack or Michelle Obama per Politico checks.
The Democratic National Committee called the post "divisive" in a statement to CNN. Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley referred queries to Trump's team per Fox News. White House press pool received no briefing on the matter.
Reuters contacted Obama spokesperson who declined immediate response. The Associated Press noted Michelle Obama's office silent on the video.
When Did Similar Incidents Occur Previously?
The New York Times recalled Trump's 2021 Capitol riot-era posts. CNN documented 15 race-related video shares in 2024 campaign. Fox News listed 2025 Truth Social incidents including edited Biden clips.
BBC News archives showed 2016 Twitter posts targeting Obama. Sky News reported 2022 midterm election video controversies. The Guardian timeline included 2023 shares of historical footage.
Bloomberg News quantified 300 million impressions from prior similar posts. NBC News noted platform policy changes post-2024 election.
Where Was the Video First Posted Before Trump?
Initial uploads traced to 4chan boards per Reuters investigation. The Washington Post identified Telegram channels on 4 February. Politico reported 4chan thread timestamps at 22:15 UTC.
X accounts with 5,000 followers posted first per BBC analysis. The Associated Press verified IP logs pointing to US servers. CNN forensics linked editing to Virginia-based IP.
Rumble's earliest version uploaded 01:30 EST 5 February per Sky News. The Guardian confirmed no watermarks indicating professional production.