Former U.S. President Barack Obama has responded to a racist video shared by current President Donald Trump, criticizing a decline in standards of public discourse. The incident, which has drawn condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, highlights a deepening polarization in American politics and raises concerns about the tone of political debate.
The video, posted on Trump’s social media account on February 6, 2026, depicted Obama and his wife Michelle as apes. It quickly sparked outrage, with critics labeling it as deeply offensive and racially charged. The White House initially defended the post, describing the backlash as “fake outrage,” but later attributed the incident to a staff member and removed the video.
Obama addressed the situation during an interview with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, commenting on the broader state of political discussion. He stated that the “shame” and “decorum” that once guided public officials are now absent. The clip, set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” was included at the end of a video containing unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
The post prompted criticism even from within Trump’s own party. Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, described the video as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
Trump, however, has refused to apologize for sharing the video. He told reporters he “didn’t see” the portion of the video depicting the Obamas as apes and claimed he “didn’t make a mistake.” He asserted that a staff member should have reviewed the video more thoroughly before it was posted. CNN reported that Trump insisted the video was taken down “as soon as we found out about it.”
The 47-minute podcast featuring Obama was released on Saturday, February 14, 2026. During the interview, Obama suggested that U.S. Discourse “has devolved to a level of cruelty that we haven’t seen before.” According to the BBC, Obama did not directly name Trump but the context of the conversation made the reference clear.
The video originated from an X post shared by conservative meme creator Xerias in October. PBS NewsHour detailed the timeline of the video’s spread and the subsequent controversy.
