Former US President Barack Obama Blasts Trump for Sharing Racist Video Depicting Him and Michelle as Monkeys

On Feb. 5, a short video posted to President Trump’s Truth Social account promoted baseless 2020 election claims and briefly superimposed the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama onto monkeys while "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" played.

“Former President Barack Obama sharply criticized recent actions tied to Donald Trump, saying most Americans find the behavior “deeply troubling” and warning it could hurt Republicans in the midterms”

Al Jazeera

The clip sparked swift bipartisan condemnation and renewed scrutiny of content on the former president’s platform.

Al Jazeera

Multiple outlets described the clip as racist and demeaning and noted it was removed after public outcry.

Commentators and civil-rights groups criticized both the imagery and the broader pattern of content moderation on Truth Social.

The post’s removal followed the White House calling initial criticism "fake outrage," then blaming a staff member for the upload and deleting the material.

Former President Barack Obama publicly condemned the episode and used it to criticize the coarsening of U.S. political discourse.

In an interview with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama called the state of public discussion a "clown show," said decorum and respect for office had been lost, and described the imagery as "deeply troubling," while warning such spectacle distracts from more substantial issues.

Arise News

Several outlets quoted Obama's remarks and emphasized his broader point that everyday Americans and voters provide the remedy.

The White House and President Trump offered a sequence of defenses that outlets reported differently.

“In a 47‑minute November 2025 podcast with Brian Tyler Cohen, former president Barack Obama decried the spectacle of modern politics as a “clown show,” lamenting a loss of decorum and respect for office and saying attention‑grabbing antics on social media and TV distract from serious issues”

BBC

Several sources say the White House initially dismissed critics as engaging in "fake outrage," then deleted the post and blamed a staff member.

Trump told reporters he 'didn't see' the offensive ending and later told the AP he 'didn't make a mistake,' saying he had handed the clip to an aide.

Other coverage noted the clip’s provenance on social platforms, with at least one report tracing the image back to an October post on X by a conservative meme creator.

Political leaders and commentators reacted across the spectrum: Republican Sen. Tim Scott called the clip 'the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,' while commentators and civil-rights groups joined Democrats in condemning the imagery.

Some outlets placed the episode within larger debates, noting, for example, how the controversy intersected with ongoing immigration-enforcement stories, local resistance to ICE actions, and calls for new rules governing ICE and DHS funding.

Deadline

Others warned about electoral consequences, suggesting the imagery and tone could hurt Republican messaging heading into midterms.

Across outlets the tone of coverage varied.

“I don’t have enough of the article to make a useful summary — you only provided a single sentence”

DIE WELT

Western mainstream sources (The Independent, Variety) emphasized platform moderation and condemnation.

DIE WELT

West Asian and African outlets (Al Jazeera, Arise News, Roya News) stressed the racial element and public backlash.

Some Western alternative and tabloid sources (RTE.ie, Deadline, TheWrap) linked the episode to wider cultural decline and civic responses.

Several pieces also noted the clip’s brief appearance — about one second.

They reported a debate over whether the post reflected a deliberate choice or an error, leaving some factual questions about intent unresolved in the reporting.