President Donald Trump condemned a video posted on his social media account depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, after it drew widespread criticism, including from some Republicans. The White House initially defended the post before deleting it and attributing it to a staff error.
White House Response and Trump’s Explanation
Asked by reporters if he condemned the post, Trump replied, “Of course I do.” A White House official stated that “a White House staffer erroneously made the post” and it had been taken down. Trump insisted he only viewed the initial portion of the video, which he believed focused on claims of voter fraud.
“I didn’t see the whole thing,” he said. “I looked at the first part and it was really about voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is.” He added that he believed others would review the entire video, but acknowledged someone apparently did not.
A Trump adviser told Reuters the president had not seen the video before it was posted late Thursday and ordered its removal once he did. Both officials declined to be named. The White House did not respond to a question regarding the staffer’s identity.
Earlier, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt defended the post, calling the negative reactions “fake outrage.” The minute-long video, shared on Trump’s Truth Social network, amplified false claims about the 2020 election. It included a brief, AI-generated clip of dancing primates with the Obamas’ heads superimposed.
Criticism and Republican Reactions
The post drew bipartisan criticism, including from Republican Senator Tim Scott, who is Black. “Praying it was fake, because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Scott said on X. “The President should remove it.” Other Republican lawmakers called for an apology and the post’s deletion, with some reaching out to the White House privately.
Trump stated, “I didn’t make a mistake. I mean, I look at a lot – thousands of things.” Before the post was deleted, Leavitt described it as originating from an internet meme video depicting Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King, and noted it included a song from the Disney musical.
White supremacists have historically depicted people of African ancestry as monkeys or apes as part of dehumanizing campaigns. Former Obama aide Ben Rhodes stated on X, “Let it haunt Trump and his racist followers that future Americans will embrace the Obamas as beloved figures, while studying him as a stain on our history.”
Trump’s Social Media Use and Past Rhetoric
Trump has frequently used social media to announce policy, comment on issues, and share content from his followers on Truth Social. Thursday’s post raised questions about the protocols surrounding his social media communications.
Mark Burns, a Black pastor aligned with Trump, said on X that the president told him a staff member was responsible for the post and called for the staff member to be fired.
Trump has previously criticized former President Joe Biden for not controlling the presidential memoranda distributed under his name. In December, Trump described Somalis as “garbage” and referred to developing nations as “shithole countries.” He also faced criticism last year for depicting House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is Black, with a superimposed moustache and sombrero.
Civil rights advocates have said Trump’s rhetoric has become increasingly bold and normalized. Derrick Johnson, national president of the NAACP, stated, “Donald Trump’s video is blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable. Voters are watching and will remember this at the ballot box.”
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