“No Apology Needed’ – Trump Defends Sharing Racist Video Targeting Obamas,
United States President Donald Trump has defended his decision to share a controversial video on his Truth Social account that portrayed former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, insisting he did nothing wrong.
Trump spoke late Friday while addressing reporters aboard Air Force One, where he maintained that the post did not warrant an apology despite the outrage it sparked.
“I didn’t make a mistake,” the president said, dismissing suggestions that the video should never have been shared.
According to Trump, he did not watch the full clip before it was uploaded. He said his attention was drawn only to the opening segment, which he claimed focused on alleged voter fraud and irregularities involving voting machines during the 2020 presidential election.
“I didn’t see the whole thing. I saw the beginning, which talked about voter fraud and how crooked the system is,” Trump explained. “I passed it on to staff. They usually review everything, but clearly that didn’t happen this time.”
When pressed on whether he condemned the offensive imagery contained in the video, Trump responded, “Of course I do.”
The video, posted late Thursday, promoted conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election and included racially offensive depictions of the Obamas. It remained on Trump’s verified Truth Social account for roughly 12 hours before being taken down on Friday morning following widespread criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
Earlier on Friday, the White House had issued a statement defending the post. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the video as an internet meme, saying it depicted Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.
She accused critics of exaggerating the issue, urging the media to “stop the fake outrage” and focus on issues affecting Americans.
However, hours after the statement was released, the video was removed from the president’s account, as backlash over its racist content continued to grow.