demanding accountability from the Trump administration for a racist Truth Social Post
- Fri, Feb 13 2026 at 3:39 PM
Mark,
Do you remember the recently deleted video posted by President Trump’s Truth Social account about debunked 2020 election fraud claims that included incredibly racist images depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes?
After public outcry, including from Republican lawmakers, White House staff removed the post. But doing so likely violates records preservation laws, and CREW is demanding accountability. They can’t legally sweep this under the rug.
The video in question depicted conspiracy theories about alleged election fraud in Georgia—a significant priority for the Trump administration as it lays groundwork to sabotage free and fair elections.
Congress enacted the Presidential Records Act in 1978 to ensure both “the preservation of the historical record of future Presidents” and “public access to the materials” of a presidency. It requires the president and his staff to document, preserve and maintain records of “the activities, deliberations, decisions and policies that reflect the performance of the president’s constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties.”
Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly used his personal Truth Social account to conduct government business and peddle false assertions about the 2020 election.
In addition to the racist Truth Social post, the president continues to threaten to nationalize elections and last month, federal agents seized ballots and election equipment in Fulton County, Georgia.
That means that the White House and the National Archives and Records Administration are legally obligated to preserve and prevent the destruction of President Trump’s Truth Social posts.
The PRA demands preservation of a record of this post and any others like it so that the public and future generations can accurately understand the policy decisions and influences of the Trump presidency.
The racism featured in the video does not exempt it from that law. While the White House may want to bury the video and move on, it cannot be fully deleted and must be preserved.
There is no exception to the PRA for racism. As much as the Trump administration may want everyone to forget what President Trump posted, the law demands the very opposite. Current and future generations deserve an accurate record of the Trump White House, its election sabotage policies and its racism too.
Throughout his first term in office, President Trump and other White House officials demonstrated a serious disregard for their PRA recordkeeping responsibilities.
Trump’s continued disregard for transparency, oversight and laws that do not suit his agenda makes it all the more urgent for the White House Counsel’s Office to review the removal of the video post and ensure its preservation. NARA must also fulfill its duty to ensure that the White House preserves records in accordance with the law. Transparency matters.
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