Tim Scott’s rare Trump rebuke over Obama ape video exposes GOP loyalty limits

Sen. Tim Scott faced a difficult decision Friday: condemn the president he enthusiastically endorsed, or stay silent on a racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.

The only Black Republican in the Senate chose to speak out.

“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Mr. Scott wrote on X. “The President should remove it.”

The post, shared to President Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday, showed the Obamas’ faces superimposed on ape bodies in an AI-generated video. It remained live for 12 hours before being deleted.

Mr. Scott’s public rebuke carries significant weight given his role as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, where he’s tasked with defending the GOP’s 53-47 Senate majority in November’s midterm elections. The South Carolina senator first attempted to reach Mr. Trump privately before going public, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

Only one other Republican lawmaker joined his condemnation: Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who faces a competitive reelection race. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leadership remained silent.

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SEE ALSO: ‘Please stop the fake outrage’: White House defends Trump’s post showing Obamas as monkeys

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The criticism stands in stark contrast to Mr. Scott’s track record as one of Mr. Trump’s most devoted supporters. In January 2024, Mr. Scott delivered a high-profile endorsement of Mr. Trump at a New Hampshire rally, snubbing fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley, the former governor who appointed him to the Senate in 2012.

“We need a president who sees Americans as one American family,” Mr. Scott declared at the time.

That endorsement proved pivotal, effectively ending Ms. Haley’s momentum in early primary states. Mr. Scott became a fixture on the campaign trail, fueling speculation he was auditioning for vice president.

Now, as NRSC chair facing difficult midterm races, Mr. Scott must balance protecting vulnerable Republican senators with maintaining his relationship with Trump. He has told donors that races in Maine and North Carolina could cost upward of $1 billion.

The White House initially defended the post. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “an internet meme video” and urged the media to “stop the fake outrage.”

Hours later, after Mr. Scott’s criticism and reported phone calls from other Republican lawmakers, a White House official shifted course: “A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down.”

Democratic leaders seized on Republican silence. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Mr. Trump “a vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder” and questioned why GOP leaders continue to “stand by this sick individual.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office demanded “every single Republican must denounce this.”

The incident comes at a precarious moment. Mr. Scott has warned that Republicans face a “ballot box deficit” heading into midterms. Democrats need to flip just three seats to reclaim the majority, and the NAACP said Mr. Trump posting the video “especially during Black History Month” will be remembered “in November.”

Whether Mr. Scott’s rare public criticism will insulate vulnerable Republicans remains uncertain. What is clear: The senator who said Republicans need a president who sees Americans as one family now finds himself asking whether that president sees him the same way.