Former President Barack Obama spoke out per week after President Donald Trump’s social media account posted a video depicting him and former first woman Michelle Obama as apes, condemning habits on tv and social media as a “clown present.”
Obama was requested concerning the social media submit, which was taken down following rising calls from each side of the aisle hours after Trump shared it, throughout an interview with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen posted on Saturday.
Former President Barack Obama speaks at a rally for New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Newark, N.J.
Angelina Katsanis/AP
“Nicely, to start with, I feel it is essential to acknowledge that almost all of the American folks discover this habits deeply troubling,” Obama mentioned.
He added, “And there is this kind of clown present that is occurring in social media and on tv … What’s true is that there does not appear to be any disgrace about this amongst individuals who used to really feel such as you needed to have some kind of decorum and a way of propriety, and respect for the workplace, proper? So, that is been misplaced.”
The minute-long video was posted on Trump’s social media platform on Feb. 5 at 11:44 p.m. It largely targeted on debunked claims concerning the 2020 election, however close to the tip abruptly confirmed the Obamas’ faces on the our bodies of apes with out rationalization and the tune “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” enjoying over it.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt first disregarded criticism of the video the subsequent morning as “faux outrage” and mentioned the racist animation of the Obamas was from an “web meme” that depicted Trump as king of the jungle and Democrats as numerous animals.
However later a White Home official claimed a “staffer erroneously made the submit.”
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he departs from the South Garden on the White Home in Washington, February 13, 2026.
Evan Vucci/AP
A number of hours later, Trump maintained he “did not make a mistake” and that he did not see your complete video earlier than he gave it to “the folks” to have it posted to his account.
Trump advised reporters this week that the unidentified staffer who allegedly posted the video had not been disciplined for posting the video on his account.
Requested by ABC Information’ Fritz Farrow on Feb. 6 if he condemned the racist portion of the video, Trump mentioned, “After all I do.”
Requested if he had any message to Individuals who had been offended by the submit, Trump mentioned, “Nicely, I’ve no message. I did not learn about it, so I imply, it went up. I actually haven’t any message.”Â
Trump has not publicly apologized for the submit.
-ABC Information’ Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
