- The White House initially dismissed the backlash as exaggerated but later attributed the upload to a staff member
- Trump told reporters he had not seen the specific segment of the video depicting the Obamas and said he did not believe an apology was necessacy
- He acknowledged that provocative content often attracts attention and serves as distraction but maintained
Former US President Barack Obama has appeared to respond to a racially offensive video shared on social media by President Donald Trump, saying the sense of “shame” and “decorum” that once shaped public service seems to have faded.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the controversial clip, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, featured an edited image portraying Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
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The video, which was set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, was appended to content promoting unsubstantiated claims about fraud in the 2020 US election. It quickly drew condemnation from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
Among the critics was Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, who described the post as deeply racist.
The White House initially dismissed the backlash as exaggerated but later attributed the upload to a staff member, after which the post was removed.
Trump told reporters he had not seen the specific segment of the video depicting the Obamas and said he did not believe an apology was necessary.
Obama addressed the broader issue during a 47-minute interview on a podcast hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen. While he did not mention Trump by name, he spoke about what he characterised as a decline in the tone of political conversation in the United States.
Responding to a question about the state of national discourse, Obama said much of today’s rhetoric has sunk to levels of hostility rarely seen before.
He acknowledged that provocative content often attracts attention and serves as distraction but maintained that many Americans remain committed to civility and mutual respect.
He added that, in his view, public officials once felt compelled to uphold standards of propriety and respect for their offices, a tradition he suggested has weakened in recent years.
Beyond the controversy, Obama used the interview to discuss other topics, including peaceful protests against immigration enforcement actions, electoral redistricting, and the progress of his presidential library, which is scheduled to open in Chicago next year.
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