Barack Obama Addresses ‘Deeply Troubling’ Racist Video Shared By Trump Of Himself And Wife Michelle

Barack Obama has finally broken his silence regarding the racist images shared by Donald Trump earlier this month of himself and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Many politicians have weighed in on the controversy, but the former president has kept silent until now, as he shared his thoughts in a recent interview.

Per MS Now, during an interview with Tyler Cohen, Barack Obama addressed the racist images that caused immense backlash from both sides of the political spectrum.

“First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” Obama said of the images and the overall behavior of the Trump administration.

“It is true that it gets attention. It’s true that it’s a distraction, but as I’m traveling around the country, as you’re traveling around the country, you meet people — they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness,” he said.

Continuing, Obama noted that there is a “sort of clown show” playing out amongst Trump and his allies across social media and on television.

“What is true is there doesn’t seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sense of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office,” the former president added. “So that’s been lost.”

Hours after the racist imagery made the rounds online and were ultimately removed, Trump refused to apologize for posting the images, and claimed that he “didn’t make a mistake,” according to MS Now.

He also added, “I am, by the way, the least racist president you’ve had in a long time as far as I’m concerned,” Trump said while aboard Air Force One.

In the image, which was part of an AI video, Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces are superimposed on the bodies of monkeys as they move throughout a fake jungle setting.

As the post made the rounds online and the backlash grew, the White House defended Trump’s post and issued a statement to CNN regarding the image on February 6.

“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the outlet. “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

However, a few hours after that statement was shared, the Trump administration blamed the image being posted on a staffer and said it had been removed.

“A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down,” a White House official confirmed to NBC News.

The imagery depicting the Obamas as monkeys taps into historically racist stereotypes and imagery against Black people, which Trump has utilized on numerous occasions throughout both of his White House terms.

Known Trump supporter South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who is the only Black Republican in the upper chamber, shared his criticism of the post on social media. “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it," Scott wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Other Republican Senators also followed suit with posts condemning the imagery.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb wrote on X, "Even if this was a 'Lion King' meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize.”

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, also took to X, writing, "The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, further slammed Trump on X, posting, "This is dangerous and degrades our country — where are Senate Republicans? The President must immediately delete the post and apologize to Barack and Michelle Obama, two great Americans who make Donald Trump look like a small, envious man."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has also been subjected to Trump’s racist imagery in the past, shared his thoughts on X as well.

"President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans. They represent the best of this country. Donald Trump is a vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder."

Viola Davis showed her love to the Obamas via social media following the post.

"This is about our humanness-our core beliefs. A HOME is a place that sees you… respects you...understands that your life matters. A place where you can fight fair- and when one wins, we all win," Davis wrote in part in an Instagram post.