President Trump said Friday that he condemns a since-deleted video shared on his social media account that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, calling that portion of the video unacceptable. However, Trump declined to apologize for the post, saying he did not see the video in its entirety before it was shared.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said he had only viewed the beginning of the minute-long video, which focused on claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. “I just looked at the first part, it was about voter fraud, some place, Georgia, there was a lot of voter fraud, 2020 voter fraud, and I didn’t see the whole thing,” Trump said. He added that “somebody didn’t” see the full video and posted it anyway.
When asked directly whether he condemned the racist imagery at the end of the video, Trump responded, “Of course, I do.” But when pressed on whether he should apologize, he said “no,” stating that he “didn’t make a mistake” in allowing the video to be posted. “Nobody knew that that was at the end,” Trump said, adding that if staff had seen it, “they would have had the sense to take it down.”
The video, styled as a parody of The Lion King and set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” portrayed Trump as a lion and depicted several prominent Democrats — including President Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Adam Schiff — as various animals. Toward the end, the Obamas appeared with their faces superimposed onto apes, moving in rhythm to the music.
The clip centered on the unsubstantiated theory that the 2020 presidential election was marred by widespread voter fraud. Trump has repeatedly claimed the election was rigged against him and favored former President Biden, despite a lack of evidence supporting those claims.
The video was initially defended by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who described it as an “internet meme” and urged critics to “stop the fake outrage.” As criticism intensified, the post was removed. A White House official later said a staffer had “erroneously made the post.”
Reaction to the video was swift and bipartisan. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican senator, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and demanded it be taken down. Trump later confirmed that he spoke with Scott, describing him as “a great guy” and saying Scott “understood that 100 percent.”
Other Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Michael Lawler of New York, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, also condemned the video and called for its removal.
Rep. Mike Turner said on X that he generally avoids responding to inflammatory statements but called the video “offensive, heart breaking, and unacceptable,” adding that President Trump “should apologize.”
Democrats were similarly critical. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in an Instagram video that the Truth Social post was shared “intentionally.” “F— Donald Trump and his vile, racist and malignant behavior,” Jeffries said. “This guy is an unhinged bottom feeder.”
