Obama Slams Trump’s ‘Clown Show’ After Racist Ape Video Sparks National Outrage

President Barack Obama broke his silence this weekend after President Donald Trump’s social media account shared a video that depicted Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes — a post that ignited outrage across the country before it was deleted.

In a pointed interview released Saturday with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama called the episode a symptom of what he described as a broader collapse in political norms.

“The majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” Obama said. “There’s this sort of clown show happening on social media and on television.”

The former president did not raise his voice. He did not mention Trump by name in his sharpest critique. But his frustration was clear.

“There used to be some sense of decorum,” Obama continued. “Some respect for the office. That seems to have been lost.”

The controversy began late on Feb. 5 when a minute-long video was posted to Trump’s social media platform shortly before midnight. The clip largely repeated long-debunked claims about the 2020 election. But near the end, it abruptly shifted tone. The Obamas’ faces appeared digitally placed onto the bodies of apes, while the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played in the background.

The post triggered bipartisan condemnation within hours. Civil rights advocates blasted it as racist. Some Republican lawmakers privately expressed discomfort. By early morning, the video had been taken down.

At first, the White House dismissed the backlash. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the outrage as “fake” and suggested the animation was part of a broader “internet meme” portraying Trump as “king of the jungle.”

Later, a White House official said a staffer had “erroneously made the post.”

Trump himself struck a defiant tone. Speaking to reporters from the South Lawn, he insisted he had not seen the entire video before it was shared and said, “I didn’t make a mistake.”

When pressed on whether the staffer responsible would face discipline, Trump said no action had been taken.

Asked directly if he condemned the racist portion of the clip, Trump replied, “Of course I do.”

But when questioned about what he would say to Americans offended by the post, he offered little reassurance.

“I have no message,” Trump said. “I didn’t know about it.”

He has not issued a public apology.

The episode marks another flashpoint in the long-running political feud between Trump and Obama — a rivalry that dates back to Trump’s promotion of the false “birther” conspiracy more than a decade ago. It also underscores the increasingly volatile intersection of presidential politics and social media in 2026.

Obama, who was speaking while campaigning for New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, framed the moment as bigger than one viral video.

“This isn’t just about one post,” he suggested. “It’s about what we are willing to accept.”

For many Americans, the question now is whether lines that once seemed unthinkable in presidential politics have simply vanished — and what that means for the country moving forward.