Former President Barack Obama has publicly addressed the controversy that erupted after President Donald Trump shared \u2014 and later deleted \u2014 a video portraying Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.<\/p>\n
The clip, originally posted on Truth Social earlier this month, sparked widespread backlash. Critics across the political spectrum condemned the imagery as racist and inflammatory. Although the video was removed, Trump declined to issue an apology.<\/p>\n
In an interview released Saturday, Feb. 14, with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama described the post as \u201cdeeply troubling\u201d and reflective of what he sees as a broader deterioration in political discourse.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,\u201d Obama said. \u201cIt is true that it gets attention, that it\u2019s a distraction, but as I\u2019m traveling around the country \u2026 you meet people [and] they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness. And there\u2019s this sort of clown show that\u2019s happening in social media and on television.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obama also expressed concern about what he characterized as a loss of decorum associated with the presidency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere doesn\u2019t seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office. That\u2019s been lost,\u201d he said, again referencing what he called a \u201cclown show\u201d atmosphere in parts of political media.<\/p>\n
The now-deleted video, posted on Feb. 5, reportedly featured animated apes dancing to The Lion Sleeps Tonight with the Obamas\u2019 faces digitally superimposed. The post drew immediate condemnation, including from some Republican figures.<\/p>\n
Republican Senator Tim Scott called it \u201cthe most racist thing I\u2019ve seen out of this White House.\u201d<\/p>\n
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to criticism by downplaying the controversy, telling TMZ to \u201cstop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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