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On Friday, President Trump addressed a controversy involving a racist video that briefly appeared on his social media account, depicting former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. While he condemned the offensive content, he stopped short of issuing an apology for the incident.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, Trump explained that he only viewed the initial part of the video. He stated that it focused on voter fraud allegations in Georgia related to the 2020 election. The president mentioned that someone posted the video without realizing its full content.
When questioned about the offensive nature of the video, Trump responded, “Of course, I do,” affirming his condemnation of its racist elements.
However, when prompted on whether he should apologize, Trump maintained his stance, saying, “no,” and insisted that he did not err in allowing the video to be posted. He reiterated that the portion he viewed seemed acceptable and did not reveal the offensive material.
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“Nobody knew that was at the end,” he remarked. “If they had checked thoroughly, they likely would have removed it. It was a parody of ‘The Lion King,’ and many individuals were portrayed in various roles.”
The minute-long video focused on the unsubstantiated voting fraud theory that claims there were “anomalies” with the results of the 2020 election. Trump has frequently claimed, without evidence, that the 2020 election was rigged against him and favored former President Biden.
Trump is depicted as a lion while several prominent elected Democrats, including Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) are depicted as animals, all while “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” from “The Lion King” plays in the background.
The Obamas appear toward the end of the video with their heads superimposed on the bodies of apes with their mouths open and their heads bouncing to the song.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the video, calling it an “internet meme” and telling people to “stop the fake outrage.”
The pushback escalated throughout the day, with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the only Black Republican senator, calling it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and demanding the video be taken down.
Trump confirmed to reporters that he spoke with Scott, who he said is “a great guy. He understood that 100 percent.”
A White House official told The Hill after the post was removed that a staffer “erroneously made the post.”
Other Republican lawmakers also condemned the video and called for it to be taken down, including Rep. Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).
“I do not feel the need to respond to every inflammatory statement made by the White House,” Rep. Mike Turner said on the social platform X. “However, the release of racist images of former President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama is offensive, heart breaking, and unacceptable. President Trump should apologize.”
Democrats and members of their caucus also slammed the video. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a video shared on Instagram that the Truth Social video was posted “intentionally.”
“F— Donald Trump and his vile, racist and malignant behavior,” Jeffries said. “This guy is an unhinged bottom feeder.”