On Friday, US President Donald Trump posted an egregiously racist video clip on social media that portrayed former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as apes. The AI-generated image of the Obamas as apes —a racist trope that has historically been used to dehumanise Black people and justify slavery —was shown at the end of a 62-second video that promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost and refuses to concede.
When asked about the video on Friday morning, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lamely defended the clip, calling complaints about it “fake rage” and saying it only depicted Democrats as “characters from The Lion King” (though there are no apes in the film).
After outcry from Democrats and Republicans, including close allies of the president, the clip disappeared from Trump’s Truth Social account. The White House blamed the post on an anonymous staffer who they say had access to Trump’s account. On Friday evening, Trump told reporters he watched the beginning of the video — and not the part that featured the Obamas — before passing it off to someone else to post. When asked if he condemned the racist imagery, Trump said he did. But he did not apologise. “I didn’t make a mistake,” he said.
Donald Trump is a racist bigot. This recent incident did not reveal that. But it is important to remind Americans that this type of behaviour and carelessness is not acceptable. In 2026, Americans shouldn’t get up on a Friday morning and see news reports of racist garbage coming from the highest office in their land. They shouldn’t hear him call Somalis “garbage.” And certainly should not see a clip of the first Black president and first lady as apes. According to news outlets, the clip Trump posted originated from a meme depicting several Democrats as animals who bow down to him. Reading these reports feels like living in a twisted version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Anyone who supports him or works in his government should be outraged and repulsed, and publicly voice his or her disapproval over Trump’s behaviour —including the lack of apology for the racist post. Those who refuse to do so would only be showing their true colours as racist sympathisers. It is never too late to repent from embracing this type of politics. But too often, many choose ethical amnesia or contort themselves to be close enough to the fire of white supremacy that they receive its warmth without being burnt. But the smoke is on their clothes, and all decent people can smell it.
It’s time for Americans to not only call Trump’s actions racist but divest from him completely. Donald Trump’s racism is a stain on America.
