Trump said he only saw the first part of the since-deleted video, which focused on debunked claims about the 2020 election.
By Kehinde Okeowo
President Donald Trump has told reporters that he will not apologise for a racist animation of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama shared on his social media, insisting he did not see the entire video before it was posted.
He made the remarks on Friday evening while addressing journalists aboard Air Force One.
According to Trump, he only saw the first part of the since-deleted video, which focused on debunked claims regarding the 2020 election.
“I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of picture people don’t like. I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it,” Trump added.
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The video in question was shared on the president’s social media account at 11:44 p.m. ET on Thursday. At the end of the clip, the Obamas’ faces appear abruptly on the bodies of apes without explanation, accompanied by the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. The video then cuts back to footage of election conspiracy theories.
Following the backlash, the White House confirmed at around noon on Friday that the post had been removed from the president’s page.
When a reporter asked if he would apologise following calls from fellow Republicans to do so, Trump responded: “No, I didn’t make a mistake. I mean, I look at a lot of—thousands of things and I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine … I guess it was a take-off on The Lion King. And certainly, it was a very strong post in terms of voter fraud.”
Asked if he condemned the racist portion of the video, Trump said, “Of course I do.”
The Obamas declined to comment via a representative. However, later on Friday night, they made their first social media post since the incident, wishing Team USA good luck at the Winter Olympics.
