Last weekend, President Donald Trump privately lashed out at two Republican lawmakers for condemning the racist video he shared that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, sources familiar with his comments told CNN.

Trump removed the video amid condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, but refused to apologize for sharing it. Instead, he was reportedly furious about criticism from Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Tim Scott (R-Ala.).

Scott, who is the only black Republican senator, had written on

“The president felt he could have handled that matter privately,” a senior Trump administration official told CNN of the president’s beef with Scott. “He told me, ‘We work together all the time. I didn’t need to make public comments.'”

The president reportedly had much harsher words for Britt, claiming during an expletive-laden tirade that she was dead to him, one of the sources recalled to CNN. His office told the outlet Friday that it is “fake news” and praised his working relationship with Trump.

The White House later told CNN that Trump has “great respect” for Britt, calling her an “incredible ally.”

Britt (left) and Scott, the only black Republican senator.
Britt (left) and Scott, the only black Republican senator.

Left: Alex Brandon/News; Right: Allison Robbert/News

Trump has shared racist comments and content before, but the video depicting his predecessor as a chimpanzee and the former first lady as a gorilla crossed a line for several Republican lawmakers. The White House later said it was accidentally shared by an unidentified staffer, and Trump told reporters he had not even seen the racist part of the video.

“I didn’t make a mistake,” he said last week. “I looked at the beginning. It was fine.”

While aides such as Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino reportedly have access to Trump’s social media accounts, Trump appeared to have less anger about the alleged anonymous staffer than he did about the public criticism.

“No, I have not [taken action against them]”Trump said Thursday without identifying anyone. “That was a video, as you know, about election fraud, a pretty long video, and they had a little piece that had to do with the ‘Lion King.’ It was very good, it was shown everywhere long before it was published.”

Far-right activist Laura Loomer announced last Friday that she was “compiling a list” of all the Republican senators who “attacked” Trump with “false” accusations of racism.

Scott and Britt were reportedly in Palm Beach, Florida, last weekend for the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s winter retreat when Trump became enraged at them. According to CNN, Trump did not see them; instead, he hosted senators who had not complained about the video, including Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Lindsey Graham (R-Mo.), by taking them golfing and inviting them to his Super Bowl viewing party.