President Donald Trump declines to apologise for a racist video depicting the Obamas as monkeys, blaming a staff error as Republicans join Democrats in condemnation.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump refused to apologise on Friday for a racist video posted on his social media account depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys.
The White House initially dismissed criticism as “fake outrage” before blaming the post on a staff error. “I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked if he would apologise.
He claimed he condemned the racist imagery, stating, “Of course I do.” The one-minute video, promoting conspiracies about Trump’s 2020 election loss, briefly superimposed the Obamas’ faces onto monkey bodies.
It repeated false allegations about Dominion Voting Systems. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt first defended the clip as an “internet meme” from *The Lion King*.
The administration performed an about-face nearly 12 hours later. A White House official told AFP a staffer had “erroneously made the post,” which was subsequently taken down.
Trump insisted he had not seen the offensive portion of the video. “I just looked at the first part… and I didn’t see the whole thing,” he said.
The post drew swift condemnation across the political spectrum. Former vice president Kamala Harris said on X, “No one believes this cover up from the White House.”
Outrage from within Trump’s own party appeared to trigger the retraction. Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
Senator Roger Wicker said the post was “totally unacceptable” and demanded an apology. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries labelled Trump “vile, unhinged and malignant.”
Trump has a history of racially charged rhetoric, including promoting the “birther” conspiracy theory about Obama’s birthplace. His second term has featured AI-generated content on his Truth Social platform.
This includes a video of Jeffries in racist attire and another showing fighter jets dumping waste on protesters. The Obama monkey video was created by the same X user responsible for the latter clip.
Since returning to office, Trump has led a crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. These federal initiatives originated from the 1960s civil rights movement.
