Trump defends posting racist ‘Obama as apes’ video

February 9 2025

-Says he ‘didn’t see’ Offensive Segment

President Donald Trump is facing intense bipartisan backlash after a video containing a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama was posted to his Truth Social account this week and he is refusing to apologize, saying he didn’t see the offensive portion before it was shared.

The minute long video, shared late Thursday on Trump’s social media platform, primarily pushed debunked claims about the 2020 election. Near its end in the final seconds of the 62-second clip a brief animation portrayed the Obamas with their faces superimposed on the bodies of apes, a dehumanizing racial trope with deep historical roots in bigotry.

When confronted by reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said he had only viewed the first portion of the video and was unaware of the offensive imagery. “I just looked at the first part. I didn’t see the whole thing,” he said, adding that staff typically vet content before it is posted.

Pressed on whether he would apologize, Trump responded bluntly, “No, I didn’t make a mistake,” and maintained that he condemned the racist clip even though he did not see it before it was shared.

The post remained online for roughly 12 hours before being removed on Friday following widespread condemnation. The White House initially defended the video as part of a harmless internet “meme,” but later attributed it to an error by a staffer and deleted it after mounting criticism from both parties.

The reaction from lawmakers has been swift and harsh. Republican Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, labeled the video “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Other Republican voices joined calls for removal and apology, putting unusual intra-party pressure on the president.

Democratic leaders and civil rights advocates were even more forceful, with Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke condemning the episode as evidence of a “bigoted and racist regime” and warning of the harmful impact such imagery has on Black children and communities.

Historical Context and Broader Implications

The controversy comes as the United States is marking Black History Month, heightening sensitivity around racial depictions and historical tropes. The use of animalistic imagery against Black figures dates back centuries and has long been recognized as a racist stereotype used to degrade and dehumanize African Americans.

This episode also underscores ongoing questions about content oversight on Trump’s social platforms and the role of AI generated media in political discourse, especially as political figures increasingly share user generated or AI assisted content.

At the time of publication, neither Barack nor Michelle Obama has publicly commented on the incident.