US President Donald Trump has refused to apologise after briefly sharing a controversial video that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, insisting he had not made a mistake and had not watched the offensive portion of the clip.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had only previewed the initial segment of the video, which he described as focusing on alleged voter fraud in voting machines. He suggested that staff responsible for posting content typically review material in full and indicated that an internal lapse may have allowed the offensive imagery to be shared.

The one-minute video was uploaded late Thursday night on Trump’s Truth Social account and remained online for nearly 12 hours before being removed following widespread bipartisan criticism, including objections from some Republican allies. Trump later said the post was deleted as soon as officials became aware of the issue, although the clip had already circulated widely online.

The video used manipulated imagery placing Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces onto ape bodies in a jungle-themed setting and repeated unsubstantiated claims regarding Dominion Voting Systems and the 2020 US presidential election. It was set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and quickly drew condemnation across political lines.

After backlash intensified, a White House official stated that a staff member had mistakenly posted the video and confirmed it had been taken down. Earlier, the White House press secretary had characterised the clip as an internet meme before the administration moved to remove it amid mounting criticism from lawmakers.

Several Republican leaders publicly criticised the post. Senator Tim Scott described the video as racist and called for its removal, while Senator Susan Collins labelled it appalling. Congressman Mike Lawler also condemned the content as offensive and urged the President to apologise.

Despite the criticism, Trump reiterated that he did not believe an apology was warranted, stating that he reviews a large volume of material and did not consider the incident a mistake.