Nationwide — Former President Barack Obama spoke out after President Donald Trump’s social media account posted a video displaying him and former first girl Michelle Obama as apes. He known as the clip “troubling” and criticized how social media and tv now normalize disrespectful habits.
In an interview with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama mentioned most People discover the habits disturbing. He described social media and TV as a “clown present” and added that requirements of decorum and respect for public workplace appear to have disappeared.
In keeping with ABC Information, the video appeared on Trump’s platform on February 5 late at night time. It primarily targeted on false claims in regards to the 2020 election, however ended with the Obamas’ faces on ape our bodies with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” enjoying within the background. The publish supplied no context for the imagery and sparked outrage earlier than being eliminated hours later.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt first dismissed the backlash as “faux outrage,” calling the clip an “web meme” meant to depict Trump as king of the jungle. Later, a White Home official mentioned a staffer had posted it by mistake. Trump, nonetheless, insisted he didn’t make a mistake and claimed he hadn’t watched the total video earlier than it went on-line. Nobody had been disciplined.
When requested if he condemned the racist imagery, Trump mentioned he did however added he had no message for People offended by it. Up to now, Trump has not publicly apologized for sharing the video.
