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President Trump Refuses to Apologize for Racist Video Depicting Obamas as Apes
President Donald Trump declined to apologize on Friday after posting and then deleting a racist video that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle, claiming he hadn’t viewed the offensive content at the end of the clip.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump acknowledged he had screened the beginning of the video, which contained debunked claims about voting machine fraud, but insisted he hadn’t seen the racist imagery before approving it for posting on his Truth Social account.
“I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine,” Trump said. “It was a very strong post in terms of voter fraud. Nobody knew that that was in the end. If they would have looked, they would have seen it, and probably they would have had the sense to take it down.”
The controversial post remained on Trump’s social media account for nearly 12 hours before being removed amid widespread bipartisan condemnation. When asked directly if he would apologize, Trump responded, “No. I didn’t make a mistake.” He added that he condemned the racist portion of the clip but maintained he hadn’t personally seen it.
The White House initially defended the post, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissing criticism as “fake outrage” over what she described as “an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle.” Hours later, as outrage mounted, the administration changed course and blamed the post on a staffer’s error.
The incident sent the administration into crisis management mode, with officials, advisers and allies contacting lawmakers and media outlets to dispute that Trump himself played any role in the posting. Sources familiar with Trump’s social media habits noted that while the president often posts personally on Truth Social—particularly late at night and early morning—a small circle of aides also have access to his account.
The controversy prompted swift backlash from lawmakers across the political spectrum. Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged its removal. GOP Representatives Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota of New York, along with Senators Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, all called on Trump to apologize.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the only Black party leader in Congress, condemned Trump’s “vile, racist, and malignant behavior.” Vice President Kamala Harris challenged the White House’s explanation, writing on social media: “No one believes this cover up from the White House, especially since they originally defended the post.”
The controversial video appears to have been spliced from a longer clip that had been circulating on X (formerly Twitter) since October, captioned “President Trump: King of the Jungle.” The original video depicted several prominent Democrats as various animals and showed the Obamas as apes for about one second, with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” playing in the background.
This incident adds to Trump’s history of sharing controversial content on social media. Last year, he posted what appeared to be an AI video depicting Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office and shared digitally altered images of Rep. Jeffries wearing a fake mustache and sombrero, which Jeffries described as racist.
Trump has rarely removed social media posts or apologized for controversial content. In a notable exception during his 2015 presidential campaign, Trump removed a post questioning Iowans’ mental fitness and blamed it on “a young intern.” He later lost the Iowa caucuses.
The controversy comes as Trump continues to promote false claims about the 2020 election. In the hours before and after sharing the video containing the Obamas, Trump posted multiple pieces of content promoting election conspiracy theories and claiming the Republican Party was founded primarily to stop the expansion of slavery.
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16 Comments
This is a clear example of the harmful impact that unchecked misinformation and bigotry can have. Leaders should be setting a better example and promoting unity, not division.
It’s disturbing to see such blatant racism and disinformation being spread, even at the highest levels of government. The refusal to apologize is disappointing and only serves to further divide people.
Agreed. Promoting false claims and hateful content sets a dangerous precedent. Leaders should be bringing people together, not spreading harmful rhetoric.
Refusing to apologize for a racist video is a clear indication of the continued erosion of ethical standards in our political discourse. We need leaders who will uphold the values of equality and respect for all people.
It’s disheartening to see such a lack of responsibility and basic decency from a former president. Promoting racist tropes and conspiracy theories is unacceptable and undermines the foundations of our democracy.
This is a deeply troubling and racist video. No one should be making dehumanizing comparisons, especially not a former president. Elected leaders must be held to the highest standards of decency and respect for all people.
This is unacceptable behavior from a former president. Racist tropes and conspiracy theories have no place in public discourse, especially from those in positions of power. We need leaders who will unite, not divide.
It’s disappointing to see a former president engage in such blatantly racist and divisive behavior. We should expect more from our leaders, who have a responsibility to bring people together, not drive them apart.
This is a deeply troubling incident that highlights the need for greater accountability and responsibility from our elected officials. We cannot allow racist rhetoric and disinformation to go unchecked, especially at the highest levels of government.
Racism and disinformation have no place in our public discourse, especially from those who have held the highest offices in the land. We must hold our leaders accountable and demand better for the sake of our democracy.
Refusing to apologize for such a blatantly racist video is a shameful display of disrespect and lack of accountability. The American people deserve better from their elected officials.
Exactly. This kind of behavior erodes public trust and undermines the integrity of our democratic institutions. We should expect more from our leaders.
Refusing to apologize for such a blatantly racist video is a troubling sign of the continued erosion of democratic norms and respect for all people. We need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions.
This is a concerning and disappointing development. Elected officials should be working to bring people together, not spread hateful and divisive content. We must demand better from our leaders.
This is a clear example of the need for stronger ethical and moral standards in our political leadership. Promoting racist content and refusing to take responsibility is unacceptable and undermines public trust.
It’s deeply disturbing to see the continued spread of disinformation and racist rhetoric, even at the highest levels of government. This is a dangerous trend that must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.