Donald Trump defended himself against racism allegations on Friday, stating he had not seen the controversial segment of a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys before it was shared on his Truth Social account.
The video, which was later removed, remained online for about twelve hours, sparking outrage, including criticism from some within his Republican Party, typically loyal to the former president.
Speaking aboard Air Force One as he left Washington, Trump claimed he had only watched the beginning of the video without seeing the portion containing footage of the Obamas depicted as primates.
“Nobody knew what was at the end,” he said, referring to the section showing the imagery of the former African American president and his wife. Trump also declared, “I am the least racist president you’ve had in a long time.”
Prior to Trump’s response, his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt dismissed the backlash as “fake outrage” and accused media outlets of exaggerating the incident. Later, amid mounting criticism, a senior White House official told AFP that “a White House employee had mistakenly published the content.”
The administration has not identified this anonymous employee or clarified how Trump’s Truth Social account is managed.
The video, originally created by the far-right outlet Patriot News Outlet, purportedly presented unfounded evidence of voter manipulation in the 2020 election, which Trump insists without evidence that he won. At the end of the clip, Barack and Michelle Obama appear laughing on monkey-like bodies against a jungle backdrop. Trump shared the video twice after its creation.
