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By Anna Commander
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Pastor Mark Burns, who Time magazine called "Trump's Top Pastor" during the run-up to the 2016 election, has revealed that he spoke with Trump about a social media post depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
Burns said in part that he made a "direct and firm" recommendation that the staffer, whom the White House alleges posted the video, according to CNN, be "fired immediately" and the president publicly condemn it.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
The White House had earlier defended the video as an “internet meme” in part before the post was removed amid bipartisan criticism. Burns said Trump assured him “clearly and unequivocally” that he did not post the clip.
The clip, which overlaid the Obamas’ faces onto apes, drew immediate condemnation due to the long, racist history of comparing Black people to apes and because Barack Obama was the nation’s first Black president, prompting calls from Republicans and Democrats for its removal and an apology.
Burns has been a high-profile faith adviser in Trump’s orbit—previously profiled as one of Trump’s most vocal pastors—making his call for the staffer’s firing notable.
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What To Know
Trump’s Truth Social account posted the video before midnight on Thursday, and it was one of dozens of overnight posts.
Burns on X on Friday afternoon said: "Statement on Video Depicting the Obamas I just spoke directly with President Trump regarding the offensive Obama ape video that circulated online. The President assured me clearly and unequivocally that he did not post it. He understands the painful and racist history in America of depicting African Americans as apes, a tactic long used by white supremacists to demean Black intelligence and humanity.
"He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable. The President made it clear to me that this post was made by a staffer and not by him," Burns said. "My recommendation to the President was direct and firm. That staffer should be fired immediately, and the President should publicly condemn this action. This kind of insensitive and racist communication does not reflect the heart, values, or leadership of the President of the United States, nor does it represent the America we are striving to build.
Burns concluded: "Historically, the intelligence of Black Americans has been questioned and attacked in shameful ways. From the era of slavery, when enslaved Africans were falsely portrayed as inferior to justify bondage, to the Civil War, when Black Union soldiers were often denied officer ranks despite bravery and leadership, to the Jim Crow era, where racist pseudoscience compared Black people to animals in textbooks, cartoons, and propaganda. Even into the modern era, these same ugly stereotypes have been recycled to undermine Black achievement, leadership, and dignity. Racism must be confronted, not excused. Accountability matters. And leaders must always speak clearly when lines are crossed. #SpiritualDiplomat"
What People Are Saying
South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott on X on Friday: "Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York on X on Friday: "President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans. They represent the best of this country. Donald Trump is a vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder. Why are GOP leaders like John Thune continuing to stand by this sick individual? Every single Republican must immediately denounce Donald Trump’s disgusting bigotry."
Political analyst and former adviser to Obama, David Axelrod, on X on Friday: "No one apparently told the @PressSec that @POTUS's racist retweet late last night portraying the Obamas as apes was a staff mistake, because she defended it this AM and accused the critics of 'phony outrage.'"
What Happens Next
It is unclear if the staffer accused of posting the video was fired.
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