Barack Obama Calls Donald Trump Racist Video Part Of Political “Clown Show”

February 15, 2026

Barack Obama called out Donald Trump over the racist video depicting him and Michelle as apes, part of a political “clown show.”

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Barack Obama finally spoke out about Donald Trump posting that racist video showing him and Michelle as apes.

The 44th president sat down with Brian Tyler Cohen for a podcast interview on Saturday. He didn’t hold back when talking about Trump’s Truth Social post from February 5.

“There’s this sort of clown show that’s happening in social media and on television,” Barack Obama said during the wide-ranging conversation. “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.”

Trump’s video showed the Obamas with their faces placed on ape bodies for about one second. The AI-generated clip was set to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” from Disney’s The Lion King.

Donald Trump posted it during Black History Month, then deleted it after massive backlash.

Barack Obama kept it real about how most Americans feel about this mess.

“First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” he told Cohen. “It is true that it gets attention. It’s true that it’s a distraction.”

The former president never mentioned Donald Trump by name during the interview. But he made it clear he thinks this kind of behavior will hurt Republicans in upcoming elections.

“As I’m traveling around the country, as you’re traveling around the country, you meet people, they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness,” Barack Obama explained.

Donald Trump initially blamed a White House staffer for the post. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt first dismissed criticism as “fake outrage.”

But even ardent Trump supporter and Republican Senator Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”

Obama’s Presidential Center opens in Chicago this June. He’s been focused on training young activists and community organizers through his foundation work.

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