President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday night that he did not watch the entirety of a "Lion King" meme video posted to his Truth Social account before it went live — a roughly one-minute clip that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The White House deleted the video hours before Trump addressed the matter en route to Florida, blaming an unidentified staffer for the posting and confirming that Trump had spoken by phone with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) after Scott demanded the video's removal.
According to the New York Post, the incident quickly drew attention because Scott is the only Black Republican currently serving in the Senate. His request that the president take down the post carried particular weight within the party, and the president's decision to call him directly signaled the seriousness with which the White House treated the matter.
According to the president, his conversation with the South Carolina senator went smoothly. Trump characterized Scott as supportive and understanding of the explanation that the video had not been fully reviewed before posting.
"I spoke to Tim Scott. He was great. Tim is a great guy. He understood that 100%," Trump told reporters.
It is worth noting that no direct quotes from Scott have been made public regarding the phone call. The characterization of the conversation comes solely from the president's account. Scott's office has not provided an independent statement on the exchange, at least according to available reporting.
Trump explained that he reviewed only the opening portion of the video, which he said dealt with "voter fraud in some place, Georgia." He said he approved of that segment and forwarded it along without watching the remainder.
"I didn't see the whole thing," Trump said. "I guess during the end of it there was some kind of a picture that people don't like. I wouldn't like it either."
The president added that he routinely reviews a high volume of content. "I look at a lot of — thousands of things. I looked at the beginning of it, it was fine," he said, framing the situation as an understandable oversight given the pace of his daily media consumption.
The White House placed responsibility for the posting on an unidentified staff member who, according to the president, failed to screen the full video before sharing it on the official account. The identity of that individual has not been disclosed. "Generally they look at the whole thing, but I guess somebody didn't," Trump said. "We took it down as soon as we found out."
For those sympathetic to the president, this explanation is entirely plausible. Managing a high-velocity social media presence means content moves fast, and a single staffer's lapse does not necessarily reflect the views of the principal. That said, critics will argue that anything posted under a president's name ultimately carries his authority, and the episode underscores the need for tighter review processes around official accounts.
When reporters pressed the president on whether he would offer an apology, Trump was direct in his refusal. "No, I didn't make a mistake," he said, maintaining that his review of the opening segment gave him no reason to anticipate the objectionable content at the video's conclusion.
This is the kind of moment that separates how the president's supporters and detractors interpret the same set of facts. To his base, Trump's unwillingness to apologize for something he says he never saw reflects authenticity and a refusal to bow to media pressure. To his opponents, the refusal will be characterized as callousness. The truth likely rests in a simpler reality: a process failure that could have been avoided with better content review.
Whatever one's interpretation, the video has been removed, the president has addressed the matter publicly, and his outreach to Scott suggests an awareness that the content was inappropriate. The White House would be well served to ensure its social media protocols prevent a repeat — because in politics, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of explanation aboard Air Force One.