WASHINGTON — Feb 6 (GeokHub) President Donald Trump on Friday condemned a racist video shared on his social media account that portrayed former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, but stopped short of issuing an apology, intensifying criticism from both Democrats and members of his own party.
The video, posted late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social account, was removed roughly 12 hours later after widespread backlash. The White House initially defended the post before reversing course and acknowledging it had been uploaded in error by a staff member.
The clip promoted false claims about fraud in the 2020 presidential election and ended with an apparently artificial-intelligence-generated segment showing dancing primates with the Obamas’ faces superimposed — imagery widely condemned as invoking racist tropes long used to dehumanize people of African descent.
Trump Says He Didn’t Watch Full Video
Speaking to reporters Friday night, Trump said he had not viewed the entire video before it was posted.
“I didn’t see the whole thing,” Trump said, explaining that he focused on the portion related to election claims and relied on aides to review the rest. When asked whether he condemned the imagery, Trump replied that he did, but declined to apologize, saying he reviews “thousands of things” and did not believe he personally made a mistake.
His remarks capped a day of conflicting messages from within the administration. Earlier, a White House spokesperson dismissed criticism as “fake outrage,” describing the video as a meme. Hours later, another official said the post had been taken down after being shared erroneously.
Bipartisan Backlash
The video drew swift condemnation across party lines. Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, a close Trump ally, described the post as deeply offensive and urged its removal.
Other Republican lawmakers privately contacted the White House, while some publicly called for an apology. A prominent Trump-aligned pastor said the staff member responsible should be dismissed.
A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment.
Pattern of Racially Charged Rhetoric
Trump, now serving his second term, has repeatedly faced criticism for racially charged statements and imagery. He previously promoted false claims questioning Obama’s birthplace and has used inflammatory language toward immigrants and political opponents.
Civil rights groups said the incident reflects a broader normalization of racist rhetoric in political discourse.
The episode also raised questions about internal controls governing the president’s social media accounts, which can influence public opinion, financial markets and diplomatic relations.
Despite condemning the imagery, Trump acknowledged that the final segment of the video contained content “people don’t like,” adding that he “wouldn’t like it either.”
