Former U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will not apologise for a social media post that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as cartoon apes, despite widespread condemnation from both Democrats and members of his own Republican Party.
Trump deleted the post late Thursday after backlash over the racially offensive imagery, but speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday night, he insisted he had done nothing wrong.
The one-minute video shared on Trump’s social media account promoted debunked claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election before abruptly switching to manipulated images of the Obamas portrayed as apes, accompanied by the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens.
Trump claimed he had only watched the opening portion of the video before it was posted.
“I only saw the first part. It was about voter fraud and voting machines, which are crooked,” Trump said, adding that he passed it on to staff believing it would be reviewed before publication.
According to Trump, the post was taken down immediately after the offensive imagery was discovered. A White House official later told NBC News that the upload was accidental, carried out by a staff member, and removed shortly before noon on Friday.
While condemning the racist imagery, Trump maintained that sharing the post was not a mistake.
“Of course I denounce that part of the video,” he said, insisting that he bore no responsibility for its content.
The incident triggered sharp criticism across party lines. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, described the post as “the most racist thing I’ve seen come out of the White House” and called for its immediate removal. Trump later said he spoke with Scott and claimed the senator understood his explanation.
Other Republicans were less forgiving. Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska said the racist context of the video was obvious and demanded both its removal and an apology. Representative Mike Lawler of New York described the post as “wrong and deeply offensive,” saying an apology was necessary.
Initially, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post, portraying it as an internet meme showing Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King, while accusing the media of exaggerating the controversy.
Criticism intensified as the post surfaced during Black History Month, a period commemorating the legacy and contributions of Black Americans. Barack Obama became the first Black president of the United States in 2009.
Even after the post was removed, calls for an apology continued. Representative Mike Turner of Ohio said the imagery was offensive and unacceptable, while Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania described it as a serious lapse in judgment “unbecoming of a president.” Senator John Curtis of Utah condemned the delay in taking down the post, calling it openly racist and indefensible.
The controversy adds to a growing list of incidents in which Trump has shared manipulated or AI-generated content attacking political opponents, as he renews focus on disputed claims surrounding the 2020 election.
Representatives for Barack and Michelle Obama did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
