US President Donald Trump denounces a racially offensive video shared on his social media account but stops short of apologizing, as criticism mounts over imagery depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The White House initially defends the post after it surfaces late Thursday, then removes it roughly half a day later, signaling a rare pullback amid bipartisan backlash over content widely condemned as dehumanizing.
The minute-long clip, circulated on Truth Social, pushes false claims about election fraud and ends with a brief, apparently AI-made segment showing primates overlaid with the Obamas’ faces, a sequence that draws swift outrage.
Speaking to reporters Friday night, Trump says he did not view the video in full before it was posted, explaining that he focused on earlier portions about election claims and left review to staff. He says he condemns the offensive segment but maintains he made no mistake in sharing the post.
Conflicting explanations emerge within the administration. A spokesperson first characterizes the video as a harmless meme, while another official later says it was uploaded in error and taken down, describing the episode as an internal lapse.
Criticism spans party lines, including from some Republicans, as the episode revives scrutiny of Trump’s past promotion of racist tropes and conspiracy theories targeting Obama during his presidency.
The incident also renews questions about safeguards governing presidential social media use, given the platform’s reach and influence. Officials decline to identify who posted the video, saying only that access is limited and that it was removed once concerns escalated.