The Prime Minister says US President Donald Trump should apologise for the sharing of a video on his social media account showing a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama last week.
Nearly all of the 62-second clip, which was among dozens of Truth Social posts from Trump on Friday appeared to be from a conservative video alleging deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states as the 2020 presidential votes were tallied.
At the 60-second mark was a quick scene of two primates, with the Obamas' smiling faces imposed on them.
The Republican president's post immediately drew bipartisan backlash for its treatment of the nation's first Black president and first lady, who are Democrats.
The post was eventually deleted but Trump has refused to apologise, with the sharing being blamed on a staffer.
Speaking to Breakfast, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked whether Trump should apologise for the post, saying: "Look, yeah, I think he should".
"He was asked, he says he condemns it, but the reality is I saw coverage of it. I lived in the US for eight years in North America and I’m well aware of what that trope is all about," Luxon said.
"And it was racist. And it’s right that it's been removed."
“As to whether he apologises for it, that’s obviously a decision for him but I would have thought you'd want to," he said.
Luxon recently declined to join Trump's Board of Peace, which the US President described as a "bold new approach to resolving global conflict".
Last month, Luxon said the Government had considered the invitation but decided not to join "in its current form".
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including the mosque attacker’s appeal hearing begins, and the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother continues. (Source: 1News)
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