Three-Time Trump Voter Apologises After Racist Obama Video Sparks Regret Over Supporting 'Rotten' President

A man who supported Donald Trump in all three of his presidential campaigns publicly denounced the president on Friday, calling him 'rotten' and apologising to Americans after Trump posted a racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The caller, identified as John from New Mexico, phoned into C-SPAN's Washington Journal programme to express his regret over supporting the president.

'Voted for the president, supported him, but I really want to apologise,' John told host Greta Brawner. 'I mean, I'm looking at this awful picture of the Obamas. What an embarrassment to our country.' The emotional call came hours after Trump's Truth Social account posted a video late Thursday night that included a brief clip showing the former president and first lady with their faces superimposed onto the bodies of animated apes. The video remained online for approximately 12 hours before being deleted Friday morning, prompting widespread condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.

Voter Expresses Embarrassment and Regret

John's comments reflected growing frustration amongst some Trump supporters over the president's conduct. 'All this man does is tell lies. He is not worthy of the presidency,' the caller continued. 'He takes bribes blatantly, and now he's being a racist.' When asked by the C-SPAN host whether he had voted for Trump in all three presidential elections, John confirmed his support across 2016, 2020, and 2024. 'He's pathetic as a president. And I just want to apologise to everybody in the country for supporting this rotten, rotten man,' he said.

White House Blames Staffer for Post

The video that sparked John's apology primarily focused on false claims about voting machine irregularities during the 2020 presidential election. However, at approximately 58 seconds into the minute-long clip, it abruptly cut to a two-second segment showing the Obamas depicted as apes whilst 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' by The Tokens played in the background.

A White House official said that 'a White House staffer erroneously made the post' and confirmed it had been taken down. A source familiar with the matter later claimed Trump 'had not seen that video before it was posted' and ordered its removal upon discovering it.

Before the video's removal, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had dismissed criticism of the post. 'This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King,' Leavitt stated. 'Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.'

Bipartisan Condemnation of Video

The video drew sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle, including from prominent Republicans who rarely publicly criticise the president. Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called the post 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House' and urged Trump to remove it.

Representative Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, stated that 'the President's post is wrong and incredibly offensive—whether intentional or a mistake—and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered'.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded forcefully, writing on X that 'President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans. They represent the best of this country,' whilst describing Trump as 'a vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder'.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer labelled Trump's post 'racist. Vile. Abhorrent' in a statement on X, adding 'this is dangerous and degrades our country'.

Dissent From Trump's Base

John's public apology on C-SPAN represents a rare moment of dissent from the president's base. Whilst Trump maintains strong support amongst Republican voters, the racist video prompted some supporters to question their allegiance. The caller's comments about Trump being 'not worthy of the presidency' and his reference to the president taking 'bribes blatantly' suggest broader concerns beyond the single offensive post. The incident also highlighted divisions within the Republican Party over how to respond to Trump's controversial social media activity, with Democrats accusing silent GOP lawmakers of complicity in the president's behaviour.