Donald Trump Says He Didn’t ‘Make a Mistake’ Over Video Depicting the Obamas as Apes

Donald Trump has refused to apologise after a video shared on his Truth Social account showed Barack Obama and Michelle Obama depicted as apes, insisting that he “didn’t make a mistake” despite widespread condemnation.

The clip, which appeared near the end of a longer video pushing debunked claims about the 2020 US presidential election, was posted on Trump’s social media platform before being deleted roughly 12 hours later. The brief segment showed the Obamas bobbing to The Lion Sleeps Tonight, a portrayal widely criticised as racist.

White House Response and Trump’s Comments

Initially, the White House defended the post before removing it, later saying a staff member had “erroneously” shared the video. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he condemned the racist elements of the clip but would not apologise.

“No, I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump said, adding that he had not watched the entire video. He claimed he viewed only the beginning, which he said focused on alleged voter fraud — claims that have repeatedly been proven false.

Trump explained that he passed the video along to staff to review in full, suggesting someone failed to do so before it was posted. He did not say whether the staff member responsible would face consequences.

Political Backlash Mounts

The post prompted strong reactions across the political spectrum. Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival in the 2024 presidential election, dismissed the White House explanation, saying the original defence of the post undermined later claims of error.

California Governor Gavin Newsom called the incident “disgusting behaviour” and urged Republicans to publicly denounce it. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer labelled the video “racist, vile and abhorrent,” calling on Trump to apologise to the Obamas.

Ben Rhodes, who served as a senior adviser in the Obama administration, described Trump as “a stain on our history,” while conservative lawyer George Conway pointed to his past writings criticising Trump’s rhetoric. The anti-Trump group Republicans Against Trump summed up the reaction by stating, “There’s no bottom.”

White House Calls Out ‘Fake Outrage’

Before the post was taken down, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended it as part of a longer internet meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. She criticised what she called “fake outrage” and urged media outlets to focus on other issues.

A Long History of Attacks

Trump has frequently targeted Obama since leaving office and was a prominent promoter of the “birther” conspiracy theory, which falsely claimed Obama was not born in the United States. Obama released his long-form birth certificate in 2011, and Trump later acknowledged in 2016 that Obama was born in Hawaii.

The latest incident has reignited scrutiny of Trump’s rhetoric and the White House’s handling of controversial content, as criticism continues to build over the video and the president’s refusal to apologise.

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