Pastor Mark Burns, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, has called for the immediate firing of a White House staffer who posted a now-deleted video that sparked bipartisan backlash.
The video, posted briefly to Trump's Truth Social account, depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.
The post was removed within hours, and the White House said it was uploaded in error by a staffer.
Burns said he personally spoke with Trump after the video surfaced.
"The President made it clear to me that this post was made by a staffer and not by him," Burns wrote Friday on X. "My recommendation to the President was direct and firm."
"That staffer should be fired immediately, and the President should publicly condemn this action," Burns continued. "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."
According to Burns, Trump "clearly and unequivocally" denied posting the video and acknowledged the painful history behind racist imagery.
The pastor and televangelist wrote that the president "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."
Burns referenced attacks on Black Americans dating back to slavery and Jim Crow, warning that "these same ugly stereotypes have been recycled [today] to undermine Black achievement, leadership, and dignity."
"Racism must be confronted, not excused," Burns wrote. "Accountability matters. And leaders must always speak clearly when lines are crossed."
The video was largely focused on election-counting technology and claims about the 2020 presidential election.
But near the end of the clip, an image apparently generated by artificial intelligence briefly appeared that showed the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama superimposed onto monkeys.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially said the video was part of an internet meme portraying Trump as "king of the jungle" and Democrats as characters from "The Lion King."
Leavitt urged reporters to "stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public."
Rep. Michael Lawler of New York and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, both Republicans, condemned the video, calling it offensive and inappropriate.
Both urged its removal, which soon followed.
"A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," a White House official told The Hill.
Another Trump ally said that the president had no prior knowledge of the post, and that the employee "really let the president down."
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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