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Obama addresses racist video targeting him and Michelle
Former US President Barack Obama has criticized the erosion of decency in public life after a video posted on Donald Trump's social media account depicted him and his wife, Michelle, as apes. The clip, set to The Lion Sleeps Tonight, was part of a broader video shared by Trump's Truth Social account, which also included unfounded claims about 2020 election fraud.
Video sparks bipartisan outrage
The racist imagery, which echoes historical caricatures comparing Black people to monkeys, drew sharp condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans. Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called it "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House." The White House initially dismissed backlash as "fake outrage" before blaming a staff member and deleting the post.
Trump denies seeing the clip
When asked about the video, Trump told reporters he "didn't see" the segment featuring the Obamas. He added, "I didn't make a mistake," and declined to apologize. The clip was traced back to an October post by conservative meme creator Xerias on X (formerly Twitter).
Obama's podcast remarks
In a 47-minute podcast interview released Saturday, Obama spoke to liberal host Brian Tyler Cohen about the coarsening of political discourse. While he avoided naming Trump directly, he lamented the disappearance of "shame" and "decorum" among public officials.
"It's important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling. It is true that it gets attention. It's true that it's a distraction."
Barack Obama, former US President
Obama contrasted the "clown show" of social media and television with the "decency, courtesy, and kindness" he still encounters among ordinary Americans. He praised peaceful protesters opposing immigration policies and discussed his upcoming presidential library in Chicago, set to open next year.
Broader context of the controversy
The video's release followed other inflammatory rhetoric from the White House, including claims that victims of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are "domestic terrorists." Cohen highlighted these examples to underscore the decline in political civility, prompting Obama's reflection on the state of public discourse.
