United States President Donald Trump has defended his decision to share a controversial video on his Truth Social account that portrayed former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, insisting he committed no error and has no reason to apologise.
Trump spoke late Friday while addressing reporters aboard Air Force One, shortly after the video sparked widespread outrage and was eventually taken down.
“I didn’t make a mistake,” the president said when asked about the post.
He explained that he did not watch the full video before it was shared, claiming his attention was drawn only to the opening segment, which focused on allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
“I didn’t see the whole thing. I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud in the machines — how crooked it is, how disgusting it is,” Trump said.
According to him, the responsibility for reviewing the full content usually rests with aides who manage his social media platforms, suggesting that the offensive segment slipped through unnoticed.
However, when pressed on whether he condemned the imagery contained in the video, Trump responded, “Of course I do.”
The video, posted late Thursday, promoted conspiracy theories surrounding voting machines used in the 2020 election and included racially offensive depictions of the Obamas.
It remained visible on Trump’s official Truth Social page for about 12 hours before being deleted on Friday morning following strong criticism from both Democratic and Republican figures.
Earlier on Friday, the White House issued a statement defending the post.
The Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described the clip as an internet meme that cast Trump as the “King of the Jungle” while portraying Democrats as characters from The Lion King.
She dismissed the backlash as exaggerated, urging the media to focus on issues she described as more important to the American public.
The video was removed from the platform several hours after the statement, amid mounting pressure and public condemnation.