Trump Won’t Say Sorry for Deleted Video Showing Obamas as Apes
President Donald Trump declined to apologize for sharing a now-deleted video on his Truth Social account that included racist imagery portraying former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, saying he did not see the offensive portion before it was posted. The clip, which also contained baseless election fraud content, drew bipartisan criticism and was removed by the White House after intense backlash.
President Donald Trump faced widespread condemnation after a video shared on his Truth Social platform depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, invoking a historically racist trope. The roughly minute-long clip promoted unfounded claims about the 2020 election before cutting to the offensive imagery toward the end.
Following intense bipartisan criticism from lawmakers, civil rights groups, and Republican voices—including Senator Tim Scott, who called the imagery “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House”—the White House deleted the post about 12 hours after it was published. Officials initially defended the clip as part of an internet meme before attributing the upload to an aide and removing it.
When asked whether he would apologize for the racist content, Trump said Friday night that he would not, claiming he had not viewed the full video before it was posted and insisting he “didn’t make a mistake.” He maintained that the initial portion of the video focused on voter fraud and said he condemned the offensive imagery but refused to express regret. The incident has reignited debates over racist rhetoric in political discourse and the use of misinformation and AI-generated content on social media.
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