We’ve all met them. The boss who blames the intern for their own mistake. The friend who says, “I’m sorry you felt that way,” instead of “I was wrong.” Psychologists say this behavior often comes from deep insecurity – some people feel that admitting a single mistake is like admitting they are a mistake. To them, “sorry” isn’t accountability – it’s surrender.
We see the struggle for this word everywhere in our culture. Justin Bieber turned it into a global anthem with his song “Sorry,” practically begging for a second chance to own his mistakes:
“I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice / And by once or twice I mean maybe a couple a hundred times… Is it too late now to say sorry? / Yeah, I know that I let you down.”
Taylor Swift did the same in “Back to December,” describing the literal pride she had to swallow just to say the words:
“So this is me swallowing my pride / Standing in front of you saying I’m sorry for that night / And I go back to December all the time.”
Even in pop music, we recognize that apologizing is a sign of growth and maturity. Yet, in the highest halls of power, we are watching a different strategy: one that treats a refusal to apologize as a form of armor. In this world, the “non-apology” is used to maintain a facade of invincibility. It ensures that a leader never has to cede a single inch of moral ground – even when the mistake is as blatant as a racist caricature.
It’s a strategy. An awful one. And right now, we’re watching it used to mask a blatant return to dehumanizing racism.
The “Oops” That Wasn’t
Late Thursday night, at 11:44 PM, a 62-second video was posted to President Trump’s social media account on Truth Social. For 60 seconds, the clip focused on 2020 election conspiracy theories. But in the final two seconds, a separate meme was spliced in: a parody depicting the first Black President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama, as apes in a jungle to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Initially, the White House was defiant. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the backlash as “fake outrage,” defending the clip as an “internet meme” of the President as “King of the Jungle” and other Democrats as Lion King characters.
The Wave of Backlash
But the “fake outrage” was actually a tidal wave of condemnation from his own allies. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds – a staunch supporter – reportedly called the White House directly and was told a staffer had “let the president down.”
On Capitol Hill, the rejection was widespread. Senator Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Senator Roger Wicker called it “totally unacceptable,” and Senator Pete Ricketts noted that “a reasonable person sees the racist context.” Other Republicans, including Senators Susan Collins, Jerry Moran, and Bill Cassidy, as well as Rep. Mike Lawler, all joined the chorus demanding the video be removed and an apology offered.
Only after 12 hours of visibility and thousands of likes was the video taken down and blamed on an “erroneous staffer.”
The Excuse That Fell Apart
But the President himself undermined the “staffer” story. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One Friday night, he admitted he liked the first part of the video and “gave it to the people” to post, claiming he simply hadn’t watched the end.
“I look at a lot of thousands of things,” he said, adding that if his staff had looked at the whole thing, “probably they would have had the sense to take it down.”
He insisted, “I didn’t make a mistake,” and repeated his usual line: “I am the least racist person anywhere in the world.”
The Caller Who Chose “Sorry”
While those in power treat an apology as a sign of weakness, we are seeing a different story play out among the people. Just this week, a caller to C-SPAN went viral for doing the one thing the White House refuses to do.
The caller, a veteran and former supporter, admitted he was wrong. He spoke about the “Lion King” video and the “animal” rhetoric, saying, “I’m sorry I voted for him… I didn’t realize it would go this far.” It was a quiet, human moment that stood in stark contrast to the defiance on Air Force One. It reminded us that saying “I was wrong” isn’t a surrender of strength – it’s a reclamation of humanity. If a regular citizen can find the courage to admit a mistake, why can’t the person leading the country?
A Pattern of Dehumanization
If you can’t admit a mistake, you can’t fix the bias that caused it. This wasn’t an isolated “edit.” The original meme creator, “Xerias,” has produced content depicting several Democrats as animals – including former President Joe Biden as an ape and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) as a donkey.
Psychologically, these metaphors are more than just insults; they change how our brains process information. Studies show that when we associate specific groups with animals, it statistically decreases our empathy for them. It’s a dark irony: in a world where many of us love our animal companions more than our neighbors, “animal” rhetoric is used to strip people of their human rights. We don’t compare rivals to animals to give them the love we give our dogs; we do it to suggest they don’t deserve the moral protections we give to humans.
Recalling racist caricatures is a centuries-old trope used to justify cruelty and violence. We see it when President Trump says of certain immigrants, “They’re not humans, they’re animals,” or when he spreads debunked, racist lies about Haitian immigrants “eating the cats” in Springfield, Ohio – even in the Presidential debate against Kamala Harris. And he still won, imagine that. The goal is always the same: to make the “other” look less than human. It is exactly why global icon Bad Bunny felt the need to tell the world: “We are not animals. We are humans.”
Some people go through life never learning how to say “I was wrong.” But when that person is in charge, the lack of an apology isn’t just a personality flaw – it’s a permission slip for hate.
Related Me We Too posts:
I didn’t think Trump would apologize for posting the racist meme video of the Obamas (and he didn’t)
I don’t like people who don’t apologize when they are wrong
Why was Donald Trump elected as President in 2024? Stupidity, racism, and sexism.
I find it hard to believe that racism will ever cease. It’s unfortunate but also the reality.
