ERLC joins chorus of conservatives rebuking Trump post dehumanizing Obamas
A video reposted by President Donald Trump that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama with the bodies of apes has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum, including from prominent Christian conservatives and Republican members of Congress who have called the imagery dehumanizing and unacceptable.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., issued a statement Friday night saying that “Regardless of the circumstances in which the video was made or shared, the depiction of the Obamas was inexcusable, and we are glad the video was taken down."
"Calling someone an ape is intentionally derogatory and dehumanizing,” the ERLC statement reads. “Despite sometimes deep disagreements over policies, in recent years Southern Baptists have declared over and over the biblical truth that every person is made in God‘s image, has the same inherent worth, and should be treated accordingly.”
The post, uploaded initially late Thursday night to Trump’s social media account, included claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election and ended with the Obamas’ faces superimposed on apes’ bodies as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played.
The video was removed on Friday after public outcry, a White House statement and a private call between Trump and black Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who had called the video “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House."
Trump said he saw only the first portion of the video and did not watch the end that contained the racist imagery.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters: “I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of picture people don’t like. I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it.”
"I just, I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud," Trump said, according to ABC News.
He said he did not regret sharing it and insisted, “I didn’t make a mistake."
The White House initially defended the video as an internet meme.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called criticism “fake outrage” and described the clip as depicting Trump as the “King of the Jungle.” Later Friday, an official told ABC News that a staffer had posted the video by mistake.
Asked by reporters who posted it, Trump said he had passed the video along to “the people” who handle his account.
He added that he condemned the racist section, saying, “Of course I do.”
Faith leaders and conservative figures who typically support Trump criticized the post.
Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas and a longtime Trump supporter, posted on X: “Let’s be clear … every form of racism is sinful and despicable. Loving Jesus means loving people and never demeaning another person.”
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a post that “this is totally unacceptable” and urged Trump to delete it and apologize.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote that the video was “racist,” “vile,” and “dangerous,” and called on Senate Republicans to speak out.
The original meme circulated earlier in October when the Hardin County Republican Party of Kentucky shared it on Facebook.
That post featured Trump as the Lion King and various Democratic figures as animals, including the Obamas as apes. It was taken down following backlash and an apology from the county GOP chairman.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., posted on X that “President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans" and called on all Republicans to "immediately denounce" the post.
