World News
Donald Trump refuses to apologise after racist post about Obamas is deleted amid bipartisan backlash
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would not apologise after a racist social media post portraying former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates was deleted following widespread backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would not apologise after a racist social media post portraying former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates was deleted following widespread backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.
“I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump said, hours after the post was taken down from his Truth Social account. The White House later claimed the post had been shared erroneously by a staffer, a rare admission of error that came after criticism from civil rights leaders, senior lawmakers and members of Trump’s own party.
The now-deleted video, posted late Thursday night, featured a brief clip in which the Obamas’ faces were superimposed onto jungle primates. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage” before the administration confirmed the post had been removed.
The video was shared amid a surge of overnight posts from Trump amplifying his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, despite repeated court rulings and official findings rejecting allegations of widespread fraud.
Trump has a long history of personal attacks against the Obamas, including promoting the birther conspiracy questioning Obama’s citizenship and using rhetoric widely criticised as racially charged.
The incident occurred during the first week of Black History Month, just days after Trump issued a proclamation praising the contributions of Black Americans to the nation. An Obama spokeswoman said the former president had no response to the post.
Origin of the video
Nearly all of the 62-second clip appeared to originate from a conservative video alleging tampering with voting machines during the 2020 election count. Toward the end of the video, a brief segment showed jungle primates with the Obamas’ faces digitally imposed.
White House officials said those frames came from a separate internet meme created by a conservative content producer, portraying Trump as “King of the Jungle” and Democratic leaders as animals. The meme also depicted President Joe Biden as a primate.
Despite the explanation, critics questioned how such content could be posted from the president’s account without oversight. Trump frequently uses social media to announce policy decisions, threaten tariffs, and issue political statements, often signing posts personally.
The White House did not immediately clarify how posts are vetted or how the public can distinguish between Trump’s personal messages and those posted by staff.
Political and public reaction
Condemnation came swiftly from across the political spectrum. Mark Burns, a Black pastor and prominent Trump supporter, said he spoke directly with Trump and urged him to fire the staffer responsible and publicly denounce the post.
“He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable,” Burns said in a post on X.
Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke rejected the White House explanation, calling the incident a reflection of a broader “toxic and racist climate” and accusing Trump of repeatedly engaging in bigoted behaviour.
Public reaction was equally critical. At a Black History Month market in Harlem, New York, vendor Jacklyn Monk said the post was embarrassing for the country, regardless of its deletion. “The guy needs help. I’m sorry he’s representing our country,” she said.
By late Friday, Trump had still not issued an apology.
