Oklahoma’s congressional Republicans have not publicly responded after President Donald Trump shared a racist post depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, imagery long associated with the dehumanization of Black people in the United States.
After more than 24 hours, none of Oklahoma’s U.S. senators—James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin—nor Representatives Kevin Hern, Josh Brecheen, Frank Lucas, Tom Cole, and Stephanie Bice have issued statements condemning the post.
The absence of response stands out given Oklahoma’s history and the well-documented racial violence.
Dehumanization Is Not Ambiguous
The depiction of Black people as animals has been widely recognized by historians, civil rights organizations, and scholars as a tactic used to justify enslavement, segregation, lynching, and exclusion from civic life. Such imagery has appeared repeatedly in racist propaganda throughout American history.
Trump’s post was shared amid ongoing national debates over race, democracy, and political rhetoric, placing renewed scrutiny on how elected officials respond when racial boundaries are crossed by those in power.
Political Response—or Lack Thereof
Members of Congress routinely issue statements responding to presidential conduct, social media posts, and national controversies.
Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, spoke out forcefully, calling the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Trump’s post also drew condemnation from other Republican leaders. Senator John Curtis of Utah described it as “blatantly racist and inexcusable,” while Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi said the president “should take it down and apologize.”
The lack of any public response from Oklahoma’s congressional delegation raises questions about political priorities and accountability.
Condemning racist imagery does not require legislative action or partisan alignment. It requires acknowledgement.
Notably, Representative Kevin Hern’s opponent, John Croisant, in this year’s midterm election, said this:
“What you condemn is just as important as what you support. Leadership is measured not only by policy positions but by moral clarity. When leaders refuse to denounce racism, they normalize it. There is no room in our politics for this kind of hate. Silence in the face of it is complicity, and every elected official and candidate who claims to care about decency, equality, or American values should condemn it clearly and without qualification.”
Oklahoma’s first Congressional District Candidate John Croisant
Senator Markwayne Mullins’ opponent for the 2026 midterm election, N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas posted this:
“The racist rhetoric being pushed at the highest levels of leadership, including comparing the Obamas to monkeys, is exactly why I always speak boldly about my identity. I am proud to be Black in a world that still carries so much hate. I am proud to be Native in a state built on land forced from our people. Marginalized communities have been attacked federally and locally for generations. And that is why representation is not optional. It is necessary.”
Senate Candidate N’Kiyla ‘Jasmine’ Thomas
For Black Oklahomans, the silence is not merely symbolic. Readers interpret the silence through a historical record in which officials often met racial violence with indifference, followed later by regret and apologies.
A Pattern History Recognizes
History tends to focus on moments of action, but it also records moments of inaction. The decisions leaders make, or avoid, during periods of racial tension become part of the public record.
Oklahoma’s congressional delegation had an opportunity to publicly reject racist dehumanization from the nation’s highest office. As of now, they have chosen not to.
In a state shaped by the legacy of racial terror for Black and Indigenous communities, Oklahoma’s collective congressional silence is not without meaning.