Trump Acknowledges Racist Imagery, Per Pastor: ‘Wrong, Offensive, and Unacceptable’

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Pastor Mark Burns claimed Friday that President Donald Trump acknowledged the racist nature of the now-deleted Truth Social post depicting the Obamas as apes.

Early Thursday morning, the president’s Truth Social account posted a video pushing allegations of voter fraud in Georgia. The Trump administration recently raided an election hub in the state as part of a fraud investigation stemming from the 2020 election. Trump has continued to insist the election was stolen from him.

Included in the video was an AI-generated clip of two apes with the faces of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama superimposed on their bodies. The clip, referencing a racist trope, sparked immediate outrage from Trump’s own base, with many demanding the president issue an apology and delete the video.

Hours later, the video was indeed deleted. In a statement sent to CNN, a Trump administration official claimed the Truth Social post was published by a staffer. According to Burns, who has long been closely linked to Trump, the president made the same claim.

The pastor also claimed he spoke with Trump directly and urged him to fire the staffer responsible. Burns continued:

I just spoke directly with President Trump regarding the offensive Obama ape video that circulated online. The President assured me clearly and unequivocally that he did not post it. He understands the painful and racist history in America of depicting African Americans as apes, a tactic long used by white supremacists to demean Black intelligence and humanity. He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable.

The President made it clear to me that this post was made by a staffer and not by him. My recommendation to the President was direct and firm. That staffer should be fired immediately, and the President should publicly condemn this action. This kind of insensitive and racist communication does not reflect the heart, values, or leadership of the President of the United States, nor does it represent the America we are striving to build.

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