Former President Barack Obama on Saturday sharply criticized what he described as a collapse in political discourse after current President Donald Trump posted — and later deleted — a social media video that depicted him and his wife, Michelle Obama, with their faces superimposed on the bodies of apes.
Trump’s video, shared earlier this month on his Truth Social account, included claims about the 2020 election and briefly cut to the racist image. It remained live for about 12 hours before being removed amid widespread bipartisan outrage from lawmakers, civil rights groups and media observers who described it as “despicable.” The White House initially defended the post as a meme, then attributed it to an error by a staff member.
In an interview with commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama lamented the incident as part of a broader “clown show” that has overtaken political discourse in the United States, saying most Americans find such behavior “deeply troubling.”
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“It gets attention,” Obama said, “but as I’m traveling around the country … you meet people — they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.”
Obama did not explicitly name Trump in the interview but said the episode reflects a loss of decorum and respect for public office. “There doesn’t seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum,” he said.
The video drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black GOP senator, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the imagery “disgusting behavior.” Civil rights leaders and advocacy groups labeled it a harmful racial trope rooted in dehumanizing portrayals of Black people.
Trump, meanwhile, refused to apologize for the post, saying he had not seen the offensive ending and blaming a staffer for the error. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially referred to the clip as a harmless internet meme before the backlash intensified.
Obama used the interview to emphasize what he described as a broader crisis in civic life, urging citizens to reject divisive tactics and focus on organized, peaceful engagement to restore norms and address pressing issues. He cited community responses in Minnesota to federal immigration enforcement as an example of Americans “standing up for their kids” and resisting actions they believe contradict the nation’s values.
