A spiritual adviser to Donald Trump has made a startling claim that the president apologized to apes–not Black people–following the controversial ape video that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama. Pastor Mark Burns revealed the private reaction, saying Trump responded with his signature “colorful personality” after the racist video led to bipartisan outrage.
Spiritual adviser reveals reaction of Donald Trump after Obama video
Pastor Mark Burns, senior pastor at the Harvest Praise & Worship Center in Easley, South Carolina, addressed the controversy during an interview with The New Yorker. Burns confirmed he spoke directly with Trump about the video. “I was asking the President to fire the person who did that,” Burns said. He explained that the depiction appeared when one video automatically transitioned into another, claiming that the staff member “did not post a picture of the Obamas as apes, but even so it was still a bad look.” Burns added particular frustration that the incident happened during Black History Month.
Donald Trump’s response, according to Burns, was, “The President, in his wonderful, colorful personality, responded to that in a way that I think only Donald Trump could respond. And he apologized to the apes because we love the apes.” The apology was directed at apes “for being compared to the Obamas because the policies of the Obamas were not good for America.” The pastor then aligned himself with the statement. “I too want to apologize to the apes for being compared to the Obamas, not to Black people, but the apes themselves,” Burns said, laughing during the conversation.
The incident traces back to a video shared on Trump’s Truth Social account. The clip, set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, included showing Barack and Michelle Obama as apes alongside unfounded claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election. The post triggered immediate condemnation across party lines. Trump later deleted the post. When questioned by reporters, he stated he “didn’t see” the offending portion and declined to apologize.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory
