'Same Excuse Since Ten Years': Trump’s 2015 ‘Young Intern’ Tweet Resurfaces After Obama-Ape Video Row

Last Updated:February 07, 2026, 17:04 IST

Donald Trump’s 2015 tweet blaming a “young intern” for a retweet resurfaces after a racially offensive Obama video on his Truth Social, sparking renewed debate over accountability.

A nearly decade-old social media post by US President Donald Trump has resurfaced online, gaining renewed attention amid controversy over a racially offensive video briefly shared on his social media account.

The 2015 tweet, in which Trump blamed a controversial retweet on a “young intern," has been widely circulated after a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account earlier this week.

The current controversy

The video remained online for nearly 12 hours before being deleted following widespread outrage. Initially, the White House dismissed criticism as “fake outrage," but later acknowledged that the post had been made in error.

“A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," a White House official told AFP.

Trump later condemned the video while attributing its posting to a staff member. When asked whether he would apologise, the president said, “I didn’t make a mistake."

The 2015 ‘intern’ tweet

The resurfaced post dates back to October 23, 2015, when Trump tweeted: “The young intern who accidentally did a Retweet apologises." According to CNN, Trump remarked, facing backlash for a retweet that mocked Iowa voters for supporting his then-rival Ben Carson in opinion polls.

The episode at the time sparked criticism, with Trump attributing responsibility for the retweet to an intern rather than taking personal ownership.

Social media reaction

The old tweet was widely reshared following the Obama video row, notably by American film producer Franklin Leonard, who wrote: “He’s been using this excuse for more than ten years, and y’all are still falling for it."

Leonard’s post triggered a wave of reactions, with users questioning the credibility of Trump’s explanations. One user commented, “Good find. There is always a tweet," while another asked why an “inexperienced intern" would have access to the president’s social media account.

Others raised broader concerns about accountability, with one post reading: “Now we can’t be sure which posts are Trump himself and which are done by staffers or interns."

The renewed circulation of the 2015 tweet has added fuel to criticism of Trump’s handling of the latest controversy, reigniting debates over responsibility and control of official presidential social media accounts.

News world 'Same Excuse Since Ten Years': Trump’s 2015 ‘Young Intern’ Tweet Resurfaces After Obama-Ape Video Row

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