Chicago archbishop says Trump should apologize for ‘racist’ social media post
Chicago archbishop calls for Trump to apologize for "racist" video of Obamas
Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich called on President Donald Trump to apologize for sharing what he called a "racist" video on social media depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as apes.
CHICAGO - Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich called on President Donald Trump to apologize for sharing what he called a "racist" video on social media depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as apes.
Trump shared and then deleted the video last week after widespread backlash from both Democrats and Republicans. Despite the criticism, Trump said he would not apologize and "didn’t make a mistake" when it appeared on his Truth Social account.
What they're saying:
Cupich, who has led the Archdiocese of Chicago for over a decade, called for an apology from the White House, whether or not Trump intentionally shared the video.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 23: Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, greets parishioners after presiding over a mass at Holy Name Cathedral honoring the late Pope Francis on April 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Pope Francis, 88, died on Mo
"If the President intentionally approved the message containing viciously racist images, he should admit it. If he did not know of it originally, he should explain why he let his staff describe the public outcry over their transmission as fake outrage," Cupich said Monday in a statement. "Either way he should apologize. Our shock is real. So is our outrage. Nothing less than an unequivocal apology – to the nation and to the persons demeaned – is acceptable. And it must come immediately."
Cupich added that portraying human beings as animals is "not new," and said such insults were used against immigrant groups who came to the U.S. from all over the world in the past.
"It was a common way in past centuries for politicians and others to demean immigrant groups as each arrived, the Chinese, Irish, Italians, Slavs, Jews, Latinos and so on. Cartoons, ‘news’ articles, even theatrical productions carried the message that these ‘others’ were worthy of ridicule," Cupich said in the statement. "It made it easier to turn a blind eye to their privation, pay them pitiful wages and mock their ‘foreign’ religion even as the country needed their labor. It immunized the national conscience when we turned away shiploads of refugees, lynched thousands and doomed generations to poverty."
He added, "We tell ourselves that those days belong in the past – that even sharing that history is harmful to the fantasy of equality we strive to create."
During his tenure, Cupich has often spoken out on the heated political issues of the day, from gun violence to racism to abortion rights.
He’s continued to be vocal during Trump’s second term, including condemning large ICE operations in Chicago and criticizing the president’s foreign policy.