Obama decries loss of decorum after racist video shared by Trump

By The Inspirer.

Former United States President Barack Obama has spoken out against what he described as a decline in public decency, after a racist video shared on social media by President Donald Trump depicted him and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.

The offensive clip, set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, appeared at the end of a video posted on Trump’s Truth Social account containing unfounded claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election. The post sparked bipartisan condemnation, with critics describing it as racist and deeply inappropriate.

The White House initially dismissed the backlash as “fake outrage” but later said the clip had been shared by a staff member and was subsequently deleted. Trump later told reporters he “didn’t see” the portion of the video depicting the Obamas and said he had no plans to apologise.

The controversy was raised during a 47-minute podcast interview released on Saturday, in which Obama spoke with liberal commentator Brian Tyler Cohen.

Cohen referenced the video while asking the former president about the current tone of political discourse in the United States. He cited several recent controversies, including remarks by the White House referring to some targets of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as “domestic terrorists.”

Without mentioning Trump by name, Obama said the country’s public debate “has devolved to a level of cruelty that we haven’t seen before.”

“It’s important to recognise that the majority of the American people find this behaviour deeply troubling,” Obama said. “It is true that it gets attention. It’s true that it’s a distraction.”

He added that while travelling across the US, he continues to encounter citizens who “still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.”

“There’s this sort of clown show that’s happening in social media and on television,” he said. “And 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.

“That’s been lost.”

The video drew criticism from lawmakers across party lines. Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, described it as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”

The imagery in the clip echoed long-standing racist caricatures that compare Black people to monkeys — tropes widely condemned for their dehumanising history.

Beyond the controversy, Obama’s interview touched on several other issues, including peaceful protests against immigration enforcement operations, electoral redistricting and the progress of his presidential library, which is expected to open in Chicago next year.

The episode underscores growing concerns about the tone of political discourse in the United States as the country heads deeper into a highly polarised political climate.