The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has defended his decision to post a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, insisting he has nothing to apologise for, even after deleting the video in response to widespread outrage.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Friday, Trump stated he only viewed the beginning of the video. “I looked at it, I saw it and I just looked at the first part,” he said. “I didn’t see the whole thing; I guess at the end there was some kind of image that people don’t like. I wouldn’t like it either.
“But I didn’t see it all; I just looked at the first part … then I gave it to the people. Generally, they look at the whole thing, but I guess somebody didn’t and they posted it – and we took it down.”
When asked if he would apologise, especially as some Republican officials have suggested he should, Trump bristled. “No, I didn’t make a mistake,” the president who approved the posting of a racist meme on his social media account said.
Trump explained that he did not watch the entire clip prior to its posting. “I didn’t see the whole thing. I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is. Then I gave it to the people. Generally, they look at the whole thing. But I guess somebody didn’t,” he said.
When directly asked whether he condemned the content of the video, Trump replied, “Of course I do.”
The video, which was posted late on Thursday, propagated a conspiracy theory regarding voting machines used during the 2020 election and featured a racist depiction of the Obamas. It remained on Trump’s Truth Social account for approximately 12 hours before being deleted on Friday morning, following widespread bipartisan calls for its removal.
The White House initially defended the post in an emailed statement to reporters on Friday morning from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the post in a reaction on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Disgusting behaviour by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.”
Political commentator Harry Sisson also critiqued the video, labelling it deeply offensive. “Trump posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. Incredibly racist and disgusting. Beneath the office of the presidency, like everything he does. Every American must condemn this,” he said.
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