President Donald Trump condemned, yet did not apologize for, a video posted on his social media account that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The post drew swift bipartisan criticism for its racist content and dehumanizing portrayal of people of African descent.
The White House initially defended the post on Friday before deleting it roughly 12 hours after it appeared. The one-minute video, shared late Thursday on Trump’s Truth social platform, reinforced false claims that his 2020 election loss was due to fraud.
On Friday evening, Trump told reporters that he had not watched the entire video before a White House aide posted it.
“I didn’t watch the whole video,” Trump said. “I saw the first part and it was really about election fraud, about the voting machines, how corrupt it is, how disgusting it is. Then I left it to my people. Usually, they watch the whole thing. But apparently, someone didn’t.”
When asked if he condemned the clip, Trump replied, “Of course I do.” However, he refused to apologize, adding, “I did nothing wrong. I mean, I see – they give me things to see – a lot of things, thousands.”
Trump’s comments capped a day of mixed messaging from the White House. A spokesperson initially described the video as a harmless “internet meme,” before another official clarified that it was posted by mistake and removed—a rare backtrack for an administration that often staunchly defends Trump.
