President Donald Trump has refused to apologise for sharing a video online that showed former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One while heading to Florida on February 6, Trump said he only watched the beginning of the one-minute video and didn’t see the offensive part.
“I just looked at the first part… I didn’t see the whole thing,” Trump said. “Somebody slipped and missed a very small part. I guess probably nobody reviewed the end of it.”
Despite calls from some Republican lawmakers for an apology, Trump said he didn’t plan to apologise. When asked if he condemned the racist part of the video, he replied, “Of course I do.”
The brief section with the Obamas seems to have been created using artificial intelligence. It shows ape bodies with the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama, set in a jungle-like background. The video was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account for about 12 hours before it was removed.
The post drew criticism from Republicans, including Senator Tim Scott, who called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” and Senators John Curtis and Pete Ricketts, who described the video as “blatantly racist” and “inexcusable.”
Trump defended himself by saying he is “the least racist president you’ve had in a long time” and highlighted his policies for Black Americans, including criminal justice reform.
The White House initially defended the video, claiming it was “an internet meme” showing Trump as the “King of the Jungle.” Later, officials said the video was shared by mistake and removed it.
This isn’t the first time Trump has faced backlash for online posts. Earlier this year, he was accused of racism for posting a deepfake video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero.
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