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Trump defends sharing video containing racist depiction of Obamas
US President Donald Trump stated he did not view a racist segment of a video he shared on social media, which portrayed former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes. The clip, set to The Lion Sleeps Tonight, was part of a 62-second video alleging voter fraud in the 2020 election. The post was later removed following widespread criticism.
President claims oversight, stands by post
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump asserted he had only watched the beginning of the video before a staff member posted it. He maintained he had not made a mistake and had no intention of apologizing. Trump stated he appreciated the video's message on voter fraud but acknowledged that staff should have reviewed it more thoroughly before sharing.
"We took it down as soon as we found out about it," he added.
Backlash from Republicans and Democrats
Republican Senator Tim Scott, one of the few Black members of the Senate and a Trump ally, condemned the video as "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House." He called for its immediate removal. New York Representative Mike Lawler described the post as "wrong and incredibly offensive," demanding its deletion and an apology. Utah Senator John Curtis labeled the video "blatantly racist and inexcusable," criticizing the delay in removing it.
"The President should remove it."
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC)
White House initially defends post as "meme"
The White House initially dismissed the clip as an "internet meme video" and urged critics to "stop the fake outrage." However, after mounting pressure from both sides of the aisle, the post was deleted from Trump's Truth Social account. A White House official later stated that a staffer had "erroneously" posted the video.
The BBC has sought clarification on the approval process for posts on the president's account and how many individuals have access to it.
Public figures react with outrage
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, called the video "disgusting and utterly despicable," accusing Trump of attempting to divert attention from the Jeffrey Epstein case and economic concerns. Ben Rhodes, a former Obama administration official, stated that future generations would view the Obamas as "beloved figures" while regarding Trump as "a stain on our country."
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom both condemned Trump's actions, with Newsom's office demanding Republicans denounce the president's behavior. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who previously accused Trump of racism after he shared an AI-generated image of Jeffries in a sombrero, called Trump a "vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder."
Context of the video and Trump's history with Obama
The racist clip, which recalls historical caricatures comparing Black individuals to monkeys, appears to originate from a post by conservative meme creator Xerias in October. The video also depicted other prominent Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Zohran Mamdani, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden, as animals.
Trump has a history of targeting Obama, including promoting the false "birther" conspiracy theory, which claimed Obama was born in Kenya and thus ineligible for the presidency. Trump later acknowledged Obama's US birth but has continued to criticize him.
The video's claims about voter fraud in Michigan were previously debunked during Dominion Voting Systems' legal actions against media companies.
