Obama slams Trump over racist monkey video, says US political discourse has become ‘clown show’

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former United States President Barack Obama has criticised the state of political communication in the country after a controversial video shared on the social media account of President Donald Trump portrayed him and his wife, Michelle Obama, as monkeys.

Obama spoke during a podcast interview with political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen. The discussion marked his first public remarks since the video surfaced online. He condemned the tone of modern political exchanges and described it as degrading.

“[What] is true is that there doesn’t seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office, right? That’s been lost,” Obama said.

The one-minute video was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account on February 5. It promoted conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 presidential election. Near the end of the clip, the Obamas’ faces were placed on monkey bodies for a brief moment. The post triggered criticism from across the American political landscape.

During the interview, Cohen referenced the development in political rhetoric.

“The discourse has devolved into a level of cruelty that we haven’t seen before … Just days ago, Donald Trump put a picture of you, your face on an ape’s body,” Cohen said.

“And so again, we’ve seen the devolution of the discourse. How do we come back from a place that we have fallen into?” he added.

Obama did not mention Trump directly in his response. He, however, noted that many citizens were disturbed by such conduct. He suggested the situation could negatively affect Republicans in forthcoming midterm elections. Trump later told reporters he supported the main claims in the video about election fraud. He said he did not see the offensive segment at the end of the clip.

The video, believed to be AI-generated, used the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, popularised by Disney’s The Lion King. It appeared during Black History Month, a period set aside to celebrate the achievements and history of Black Americans.

Obama also addressed immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. He compared the conduct of federal agents to practices seen under authoritarian systems. He cited two fatal shootings linked to the crackdown.

He described the actions as the kind “in the past we’ve seen in authoritarian countries and we’ve seen in dictatorships”.

Thousands of federal officers, including personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, participated in raids and arrests. Authorities said the missions targeted criminals.

“The rogue behaviour of agents of the federal government is deeply concerning and dangerous,” Obama said.

He nevertheless expressed optimism about civic resistance.

“Not just randomly, but in a systematic, organised way, citizens saying, ‘this is not the America we believe in, and we’re going to fight back, and we’re going to push back with the truth and with cameras and with peaceful protests,” Obama said.

The operations sparked protests in Minnesota and drew criticism nationwide. Disputes over immigration enforcement funding also led to a partial shutdown involving the Department of Homeland Security, as lawmakers debated oversight and reforms.