By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump on Friday removed a racist video he posted to social media late Thursday night that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, but said he would not apologize for sharing it.
The roughly minute-long video focused on false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election, but near the end it abruptly flashed to images of the Obamas’ faces superimposed on cartoon apes as the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played in the background.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday night, Trump said he condemned the racist portions of the video but did not believe he had made a mistake.
“No, I didn’t make a mistake,” he said, adding that he had not watched the full video. “I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine.”
The post sparked immediate backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, with critics calling it racist and demanding its removal and an apology. The video was taken down shortly before noon Friday.
A White House official said a staffer had posted the video in error and confirmed it had been removed. Trump declined to say which staffer shared the clip or whether the person would face consequences.
“I looked at the first part and it was really about voter fraud and the machines, how crooked it is,” Trump said. “Then I gave it to the people. Generally, they’d look at the whole thing. But I guess somebody didn’t, and they posted.”
He added, “We took it down as soon as we found out about it.”
The imagery drew particular condemnation because it echoes long-standing racist stereotypes about Black people and appeared during Black History Month, which recognizes the contributions of Black Americans. Obama was the nation’s first Black president.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially dismissed the criticism, describing the video as an internet meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from “The Lion King.” She urged critics to focus on other issues.
The reposted clip also depicted other Democrats as animals, with Trump shown as a lion. Representatives for the Obamas did not immediately comment.
Trump’s post drew rare public criticism from prominent Republicans. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged its removal. Trump later said he spoke with Scott and claimed the senator “understood that 100%.”
Other GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Pete Ricketts and Rep. Mike Lawler, called the post offensive and urged Trump to apologize. Democratic leaders sharply condemned the video, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it “racist, vile, abhorrent,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries describing Trump as “vile” and questioning continued Republican support.
Even after the video was deleted, additional Republican lawmakers criticized the incident. Rep. Mike Turner called the images “offensive, heartbreaking, and unacceptable,” while Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said the post represented a “grave failure of judgment.” Sen. John Curtis criticized the delay in removing the post, saying it never should have been shared.
Some Trump allies also criticized the handling of the situation. A longtime supporter, South Carolina pastor Mark Burns, said he told Trump the staffer responsible should be fired, adding that racism must be confronted and accountability matters.
Trump has frequently used his social media platforms to share manipulated or AI-generated videos attacking political opponents. Last year, he reposted a doctored clip depicting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a cartoon sombrero and mustache as mariachi music played.
In a recent interview, Trump acknowledged amplifying election conspiracy theories online, though he said he does not believe all of them.
During his second term, Trump has moved to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government and has expanded restrictive immigration policies. He has also faced repeated criticism for inflammatory remarks about immigrants and associations with far-right figures.
The deleted video focused primarily on false claims about voting machine irregularities in the 2020 election. Trump has continued to claim he won that election. Last week, federal authorities seized 2020 voter records from an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, prompting local officials to file a lawsuit seeking their return. The FBI declined to comment on the search, citing an ongoing investigation.