US President Donald Trump refused to apologize for a video that circulated on his social media account featuring racist imagery of former Presidents Barack and Michelle Obama, posted by an aide who allegedly had access to the president's account.
According to White House officials, the video was meant to be part of a larger conspiracy theory video that amplified Trump's false claim he won the 2020 presidential election. However, only the clip with the Obamas appeared in the video. The aide, Natalie Harp, reportedly posted the video without Trump's knowledge or approval.
Trump initially stated that he had directed his aides to post the video but denied seeing the part featuring the Obama faces superimposed on monkey bodies. When asked if he would apologize for the racist meme, Trump insisted that he did not make a mistake and refused to back down.
The White House initially defended the posting of the video, which was later deleted after sparking widespread outrage across both parties. Despite calls from Republicans to denounce the post and offer an apology, only a few had spoken out against it so far.
Many prominent Democrats have condemned the post as "blatantly racist," with some even calling for Trump's immediate removal from office due to his repeated display of racism and bigotry during his presidency.
This latest episode in Trump's increasingly frequent late-night posting sprees on social media has sparked renewed concerns about his ability to govern effectively and maintain a level of decorum, particularly when it comes to issues related to race.
According to White House officials, the video was meant to be part of a larger conspiracy theory video that amplified Trump's false claim he won the 2020 presidential election. However, only the clip with the Obamas appeared in the video. The aide, Natalie Harp, reportedly posted the video without Trump's knowledge or approval.
Trump initially stated that he had directed his aides to post the video but denied seeing the part featuring the Obama faces superimposed on monkey bodies. When asked if he would apologize for the racist meme, Trump insisted that he did not make a mistake and refused to back down.
The White House initially defended the posting of the video, which was later deleted after sparking widespread outrage across both parties. Despite calls from Republicans to denounce the post and offer an apology, only a few had spoken out against it so far.
Many prominent Democrats have condemned the post as "blatantly racist," with some even calling for Trump's immediate removal from office due to his repeated display of racism and bigotry during his presidency.
This latest episode in Trump's increasingly frequent late-night posting sprees on social media has sparked renewed concerns about his ability to govern effectively and maintain a level of decorum, particularly when it comes to issues related to race.