Obama Describes Trump’s Shared Video as “Deeply Troubling”

(MENAFN) Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday subtly responded to a video circulated by President Donald Trump that portrayed him and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, describing the imagery as “deeply troubling.”

“Just days ago. Donald Trump put a picture of you, your face on an ape’s body.” interviewer Brian Tyler Cohen said while questioning Obama about the visual during a discussion, suggesting it symbolized a deterioration in civic dialogue. “How do we come back from the place that we have fallen into?”

“First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” Obama replied. “It is true that it gets attention. It’s true that it’s a distraction, but as I’m traveling around the country, as you’re traveling around the country, you meet people – they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.”

Obama further remarked that a “sort of clown show” appears to be unfolding across social media platforms and television networks. “What is true is there doesn’t seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sense of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office. So, that’s been lost.”

The White House defended the upload, with spokesperson Karoline Leavitt initially dismissing the backlash as “fake outrage” Hours later, the clip was deleted from the president’s Truth Social account, as reports referencing an unnamed official attributed the posting to a staff member.

The seemingly AI-produced footage featured the track The Lion Sleeps Tonight, widely popularized by The Lion King. In the clip, the Obamas’ faces were superimposed onto ape bodies, grinning broadly and reinforcing longstanding stereotypes directed at Black individuals.

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