Barack Obama is finally speaking out about the racist video posted by Donald Trump in which he and Michelle Obama are both apes.
The 44th president sat down for a podcast interview with Brian Tyler Cohen on Saturday. He didn’t hesitate when it came to Trump’s February 5 “Truth Society” post.
“There’s this clown show going on on social media and on television,” Barack Obama said during the wide-ranging talk. “The truth is, for people who used to feel like there had to be some decorum, some sense of decorum and some respect for the office, there doesn’t seem to be any shame in that, right? That’s been lost now.”
Trump’s video shows the Obamas pressing their faces against the ape for about a second. The AI-generated clip was set to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” from Disney’s “The Lion King.”
Donald Trump posted the post during Black History Month but deleted it after facing backlash.
Barack Obama truly expressed how most Americans feel about this mess.
“First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that most Americans find this behavior deeply disturbing,” he told Cohen. “It does draw attention. It does distract.”
The former president never mentioned Donald Trump’s name during the interview. But he made clear he believed such behavior would hurt Republicans in the upcoming election.
“As I travel around the country, and when you travel around the country, you meet people who still believe in decency, politeness and kindness,” Barack Obama explained.
Donald Trump initially blamed the position on a White House staffer. Press secretary Carolyn Leavitt first dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage.”
But even Republican Senator Tim Scott, an ardent Trump supporter, called it “the most racist thing I’ve ever seen in the White House.”
The Obama Presidential Center opened in Chicago in June. He has been committed to training young activists and community organizers through his foundation work.
