Obama Breaks Silence After Racist Video Shared by Trump
Barack Obama condemns a racist Trump video, warning US political discourse has lost decency. The viral social media controversy sparks outrage.
Former US President Barack Obama has directly addressed a racist video posted by President Donald Trump on social media. He told a podcast host that the "shame" and "decency" that government officials once possessed is now gone.
The offensive video included a clip depicting Obama and his wife, Michelle, as monkeys, which drew widespread condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.
The White House initially defended the video, calling it "fake anger." A staff member was later blamed for the post and it was deleted.
Obama spoke with liberal podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, who asked America's first Black president about the tone of his political discourse. Cohen cited Trump's posts as a contributing factor to several recent controversies.
The clip—set to the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"—was included at the end of a video shared on Trump's Truthout social account, which made baseless claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election.
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The post sparked outrage among leaders, including senior members of Trump's Republican Party.
Senator Tim Scott—the only Black Republican senator—called it "the most racist thing I've seen in this White House."
The clip is reminiscent of racist cartoons comparing Black people to monkeys and appears to be taken from a post shared by conservative meme creator Xerias in October.
Trump has told reporters that he "didn't see" the part of the video featuring Obama.
When asked if he plans to apologize, he told reporters, "I didn't make a mistake."
The 47-minute podcast featuring Obama was released on Saturday. The episode begins with the host asking him to comment on US "interactions," which he says have "reached a level of brutality we've never seen before."
Cohen addressed the White House's claim that "victims" of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are "domestic terrorists," saying, "Just a few days ago, Donald Trump had his picture, his face, superimposed on the body of a monkey."
Obama responded: "It's important to recognize that most Americans find this behavior deeply disturbing.
"It's true that it draws attention. It's true that it distracts."
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But Obama said that traveling around the US, he found himself meeting people who "still believe in decency, civility, and kindness."
He added, "There's this kind of clown show going on on social media and television."
"And what's true is that people who used to feel like you had to have some kind of decorum and proper understanding and respect for the office, right? They don't feel any shame about it anymore."
He didn't mention Trump by name in his response.
During the interview, Obama touched on a number of issues. He praised protesters who peacefully gathered against immigration restrictions, discussed electoral redistricting, and spoke about his presidential library, which is set to open in Chicago next year.
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