February 15, 2026
The former president says ‘shame’ and respect for public office have faded.
Former President Barack Obama criticized the coarsening tone of American politics during a recent podcast appearance, days after a racially offensive video targeting him and former First Lady Michelle Obama circulated on President Donald Trump’s social media account.
Speaking with liberal commentator Brian Tyler Cohen in a 47-minute episode released on Feb. 14, Obama did not reference Trump directly but addressed what he described as a broader decline in public standards. “Discourse has devolved to a level of cruelty that we haven’t seen before,” he said when asked about the state of political conversation in the United States.
As reported by BBC, the controversy stems from a video shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform that included unfounded allegations about fraud in the 2020 presidential election. At the end of the clip — set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” — was an image depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The imagery evoked long-standing racist stereotypes and quickly sparked condemnation from both Democratic and Republican leaders.
Among the critics was Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, who called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
Initially, the White House dismissed criticism as “fake outrage.” The post was later removed, with officials attributing its publication to a staff member. Trump told reporters he “didn’t see” the portion of the video featuring the Obamas and said, “I didn’t make a mistake,” when asked if he planned to apologize.
During the podcast, Cohen referenced the post while discussing broader political tensions, including rhetoric surrounding immigration enforcement. He noted that the White House had labeled some Immigration and Customs Enforcement targets as “domestic terrorists” and added, “Just days ago, Donald Trump put a picture of you, your face, on an ape’s body.”
Obama responded by shifting focus to public reaction. “It’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” he said. “It is true that it gets attention. It’s true that it’s a distraction.”
While condemning the tone of certain media and online spaces — calling it “this sort of clown show that’s happening in social media and on television” — Obama said his travels across the country suggest many Americans “still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.”
He added that what once guided public officials — “some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office” — now appears diminished. “That’s been lost,” he said.
Beyond the controversy, Obama also discussed peaceful protests against immigration enforcement, electoral redistricting, and the progress of his presidential library in Chicago, slated to open next year.
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