US President Donald Trump said he condemned a video shared on his social media account that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, but he declined to issue an apology, drawing swift bipartisan condemnation.
The video, which appeared late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social account, was removed about 12 hours later after widespread criticism. Civil rights advocates and lawmakers described the content as dehumanizing and racially offensive.
Video Amplified False Election Claims
The one-minute clip promoted false claims that Trump’s 2020 election loss resulted from voter fraud. Near the end, it included a short, apparently AI-generated segment showing dancing primates with the Obamas’ faces superimposed.
Trump told reporters on Friday night that he had not watched the entire video before it was posted by a White House aide. “I didn’t see the whole thing,” he said, adding that he focused on what he described as claims about election irregularities.
When asked whether he condemned the imagery, Trump said, “Of course I do,” but added that he did not believe an apology was warranted, saying he reviews “thousands of things” daily.
Conflicting Messages From the White House
The episode highlighted internal confusion within the White House. An administration spokesperson initially defended the post as a harmless internet meme before another official said it had been shared in error and was subsequently deleted.
Only a small number of senior aides have access to Trump’s social media accounts, according to people familiar with the process. Officials declined to identify who posted the video.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt initially dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage,” describing the video as a parody portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle.” As backlash intensified, a separate White House official confirmed the post had been removed.
History of Racially Charged Rhetoric
Trump has faced repeated criticism over racially charged statements and imagery. He previously promoted the false claim that Obama was not born in the United States, a conspiracy theory widely condemned as racist.
The latest post prompted criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, including Senator Tim Scott, a close Trump ally. Scott called the video “the most racist thing” he had seen from the White House and urged its removal.
Several Republican lawmakers privately contacted the administration, according to a source familiar with the matter, while others publicly called on Trump to apologize.
Civil Rights Groups Condemn the Post
Civil rights organizations stressed that portraying people of African descent as apes has long been used to justify racism and violence. The NAACP said the video reflected an increasingly normalized use of racist rhetoric in political discourse.
“Voters are watching and will remember this,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment.
Questions Over Social Media Oversight
The incident renewed scrutiny over how Trump’s social media accounts are managed, particularly given his history of using online platforms to announce policy positions and share supporter-generated content with millions of followers.
While Trump later acknowledged that the video included imagery “people don’t like,” he maintained that he would not apologize, closing the door on further action beyond its removal.