“No Apology, No Regret: Trump Shrugs Off Racist Video as White House Spins Into Crisis”
By Passman Akpos
Washington, DC — President Donald Trump on Friday declined to apologize after a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes was posted and later deleted from his social media account, insisting he “didn’t make a mistake” and blaming a staffer for the incident.
Speaking to reporters as he walked across the South Lawn of the White House before departing for travel, and later aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had only watched the beginning of the video and was unaware of its offensive ending before it was shared.
“I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine,” Trump said, explaining that the opening portion focused on debunked claims of voter fraud. “Nobody knew that that was in the end.”
The video, which was posted late Thursday night and remained online for nearly 12 hours, sparked widespread outrage across party lines. The final seconds of the clip showed the Obamas’ faces superimposed onto apes in a jungle scene, accompanied briefly by music from The Lion Sleeps Tonight—imagery long associated with racist tropes.
The White House initially defended the post, dismissing criticism as “fake outrage.” Hours later, however, the video was taken down, and the administration issued a new statement saying it had been posted “in error” by a staff member.
Trump acknowledged Friday that he had screened part of the video before passing it to a staffer to post, saying that aide failed to watch it in full.
“Somebody slipped and missed a very small part,” he said.
When asked directly whether he would apologize, including amid calls from Republican allies to do so, Trump refused.
“No,” he said. “I didn’t make a mistake.”
Pressed further, the president said he condemned the racist portion of the clip. “Of course I do,” he said, while adding that he did not believe the controversy would harm Republicans’ standing with Black voters. “I am, by the way, the least racist president you’ve had in a long time,” Trump said.
Bipartisan backlash
The post drew swift condemnation from lawmakers, including several Republicans. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called the video “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged its immediate removal.
Rep. Mike Lawler and Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, both Republicans facing competitive reelections, publicly called on Trump to delete the post and apologize. Senators Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Roger Wicker of Mississippi also urged an apology, signaling growing unease within the party.
“This is totally unacceptable,” Wicker wrote.Despite the backlash, Senate Republican leaders John Thune and John Barrasso declined to comment.
Democratic leaders were more forceful. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced the president’s behavior in a social media video, while former Vice President Kamala Harris rejected the White House’s explanation as a “cover up.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office also condemned the post, calling on Republicans to denounce it.
White House scramble
Sources said the controversy sent the White House into damage-control mode, with advisers and allies reaching out to lawmakers and media outlets to distance Trump from the post. One adviser said the president was “very let down” by the staffer blamed for sharing the video.
South Carolina preacher Mark Burns, a longtime Trump ally, said he urged the president to fire the staffer responsible and publicly condemn the post.
The video appears to have originated from an online meme shared months earlier, depicting Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and several Democrats as animals. The Obamas’ appearance was spliced into the end of a longer clip promoting false claims about the 2020 election.CNN said it reached out to the Obamas for comment.
Pattern of controversy
The incident is the latest in a series of social media controversies involving Trump, who has repeatedly shared or amplified conspiracy theories, false election claims and racially charged content. While Trump often reposts content from others, it is rare for him to delete a post or accept responsibility for one that causes widespread offense.
As president, Trump has maintained that his social media activity is intentional. “You know, I retweet for a reason,” he once said.
On Friday, amid intensifying criticism, he stood firm
“I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump repeated.
