Late Thursday evening, President Donald Trump posted an egregiously racist video clip on social media that portrayed former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as apes.
The AI-generated image of the Obamas as primates—a racist trope that has historically been used to dehumanize Black people and justify slavery—was shown at the end of a 62-second video that promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost and refuses to concede.
When asked about the video on Friday morning, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confidently defended the clip, calling complaints about it “fake rage” and saying it only depicted Democrats as “characters from The Lion King” (though there are no apes in the film).
After outcry from Democrats and Republicans, including close allies of the president, the clip disappeared from Trump’s Truth Social account. The White House blamed the post on an anonymous staffer who they say had access to Trump’s account. On Friday evening, Trump told reporters he watched the beginning of the video—and not the part that featured the Obamas—before passing it off to someone else to post. When asked if he condemned the racist imagery, Trump said he did. But he did not apologize. “I didn’t make a mistake,” he said.
If the president doesn’t hold anyone accountable for the video, or offer an apology, it’s safe to assume racism doesn’t bother him. Anyone who follows the news knows this isn’t the first racist thing Trump has posted, or said, since he came on the political scene. But it is important to remind ourselves that this type of behavior and carelessness is not acceptable.
In 2026, Americans shouldn’t get up on a Friday morning and see news reports of racist garbage coming from the highest office in the land. We shouldn’t see the country’s leader sharing a bigoted image of a top House Democrat wearing a sombrero, or hear him call Somalis “garbage.” And we certainly should not see a clip of the first Black president and first lady as apes.
According to news outlets, the clip Trump posted originated from a meme depicting several Democrats as animals who bow down to him. Reading these reports feels like living in a twisted version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Like the book’s top hog, Napoleon, Trump incessantly lies and pushes propaganda that reveals autocratic tendencies. The Christians close to him therefore would do him a big service if they let him know there is no eternal king except Jesus.
If evangelical supporters of Trump value the Bible more than their political allegiances, they should be outraged and repulsed, and publicly voice their disapproval over Trump’s behavior—and the lack of apology for the racist post. Those who refuse to do so would only be showing us their true colors as racist sympathizers who rather have proximity to power than uphold biblical principles.
Scripture tells us wise leaders promote virtue and integrity. They should “detest wrongdoing” and be “established through righteousness” (Prov. 16:12). But instead of being a prudent leader, our president often models the insecurities of Herod, who went after his perceived opponents by any means necessary. Trump has long seen the Obamas, particularly Barack, as his enemy. And because he hates his opponents, as he told us last year, dehumanizing them becomes easy.
For Black Americans, and many others, the clip evokes painful periods of America’s history and degrading words said by other presidents about racial minorities. I’m not interested in relitigating dead presidents. But I do want to highlight the moral bankruptcy of Christians who faithfully endorse the dishonorable actions of a leader who operates without any red lines.
The cautionary account of King Saul in 1 Samuel should have been a warning that what our leaders say and do impacts us deeply. Church leaders should imitate the prophet Samuel and shepherd us through moments of turbulence. But many have become partisan cheerleaders and look more like court jesters than prophets.
Evangelical leaders who refuse to criticize Trump should know that a king may give you what you want and also destroy the values you hoped, or claimed, he would uphold. It is never too late to repent from embracing this type of politics. But too often, many choose ethical amnesia or contort themselves to be close enough to the fire of white supremacy that they receive its warmth without being burnt. But the smoke is on their clothes, and we can smell it.
It’s time for conservative Christians to not only call Trump’s actions racist but divest from him completely. Without that, the empty display of faith we see will continue to be a parasite that drains life out of the church. Evangelicals should not aim to be a city on a hill sponsored by an immoral empire. After all, those who cozy up to wickedness will only live off the ill-gotten gains of wicked actors.
How should the church then respond to all of this?
First, the Bible is clear the church is the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3:10). It’s difficult to feel that truth when many Christians zealously support a man who often dabbles in pure racism. Ethnic hatred, fear, and discrimination are evils that have been taught to many people, and we must be diligent to purge it from our communities. God calls on us to address these issues head on (Acts 6; Gal. 2:11) and also practice radical solidarity.
Second, Christian leaders, artists and anyone indwelled by the Spirit of God can be a prophetic voice when God’s people are being manipulated toward political idolatry. Let us have the courage of Jeremiah, who was called to “go down to the house of the king” and speak words of power so our leaders will “do justice and righteousness.” (Jer. 22:1, 3, ESV).
Let us implore leaders to “do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.” Let us call our leaders to repentance. Let us also trust the Lord, knowing that regardless of what happens in America, his kingdom will endure.
Sho Baraka is editorial director of the Big Tent Initiative at CT.
