Trump-Obama Monkey Video Controversy: US President refuses to apologize as he puts blame on...; Watch Viral Video

The Donald Trump-Barack Obama monkey video controversy took a fresh turn after the US president refused to issue an apology for the widely condemned racist post, instead shifting responsibility to a staff member whom he blamed for sharing the content. Trump briefly shared a post featuring a racist video that portrayed former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, prompting sharp backlash across the US political spectrum on Friday. The clip was posted to Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday before being deleted in an unusual retreat, with Trump insisting he had not viewed the video.


The White House initially defended the video, but it was later taken down after intense backlash and mounting criticism. "A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," AFP quoted a White House official as saying.


The one-minute video pushed conspiracy theories tied to Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen by Joe Biden. The Obamas - the first Black president and first lady in US history - were shown briefly with their faces digitally placed on monkeys. The video also recycled long-debunked allegations that Dominion Voting Systems played a role in manipulating election results.

Pressed by reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday afternoon, as reported by TMZ, Trump claimed ignorance about the controversial video, saying he understood it only as commentary on alleged voter fraud. He said he was unaware that the clip depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle scene. Trump deflected responsibility for the post, placing the blame on his staff and saying they failed to properly review the video before it was shared, reported TMZ.

When asked whether he would apologize, Trump flatly declined, as quoted by TMZ, saying he had nothing to be sorry for because he was unaware of the racist depiction in the video.

Former vice president Kamala Harris, a longtime critic of Trump’s divisive racial rhetoric, called out the White House’s backtracking in a post on X on Friday.

"No one believes this cover up from the White House, especially since they originally defended this post," she wrote. "We are all clear-eyed about who Donald Trump is and what he believes."