President Donald Trump is once again facing backlash after refusing to apologize for sharing a video on his Truth Social account that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.
During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One on February 6, Trump was asked directly about the video, which had already been taken down following widespread outrage. Rather than express regret, Trump doubled down. When asked by a reporter if he will apologize for the video, Trump responded, “no, I didn’t make a mistake.” Even as condemnation poured in from both Democrats and members of his own party, Trump refused to take accountability, a common theme that has underscored much of his second term.
Trump: ‘I Didn’t Make A Mistake’
The video, which peddled false claims about the 2020 election, featured a brief clip showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed on the bodies of apes—a racist trope that has been used for centuries against Black people. White House officials initially blamed a staffer for posting the clip, and the video was removed roughly 12 hours after Trump shared it on Truth Social late Thursday Night.
Trump claimed he had only watched the beginning of the video before it was posted and said that he did not see the offensive imagery near the end. But when asked if he will at least apologize for sharing such a video, Trump refused to even do that.
The president’s response follows a familiar pattern: when confronted with racially charged rhetoric or actions, Trump has repeatedly chosen defiance over accountability. Instead of acknowledging the obvious offensiveness of the post, he insisted there was no mistake, despite the fact that even Republican lawmakers publicly called the video “racist” and demanded its removal.
The presidency carries a certain expectation of decorum and moral leadership. Sharing a video that relies on one of the oldest racist tropes in American history—and then refusing to apologize for it—falls far short of that standard. Unfortunately, it seems that this sort of standard is now just a relic of the past.
