Obama decries loss of ‘shame’ in politics after racist Trump post
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama lamented the erosion of “shame” and “decorum” in American politics after a video shared on President Donald Trump’s social media platform depicted Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes — a post widely condemned across the political spectrum before it was deleted.
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Speaking with liberal podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama did not mention Trump by name but pointed directly to the climate that allowed the video to circulate from a presidential account. “There was a time when there were certain guardrails around our behavior,” he said, arguing that standards once expected of those in high office have fallen away.
The video sparked swift backlash from Democrats and Republicans who denounced the content as racist. The White House initially dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage,” according to officials, before the post was taken down. Aides later attributed the upload to a staff member.
Obama, the nation’s first Black president, framed the episode as part of a broader breakdown in political norms that once constrained personal attacks and bigotry in public life. He told Cohen that the informal rules that used to police conduct — the sense that some lines should not be crossed — appear to have weakened or disappeared.
The clip at the center of the controversy included a depiction of the Obamas as apes, echoing a racist trope that civil rights advocates and historians say has long been used to dehumanize Black people. Its appearance on the president’s platform intensified the reaction, with critics warning that such messages can legitimize prejudice and fuel harassment.
The White House’s shifting response — from defense to deletion and a staffer’s blame — left unanswered questions about how the video was posted and who reviewed it. While officials distanced the president from the specifics of the upload, they did not address the broader criticism that the episode reflects a coarsening of political discourse enabled by powerful online megaphones.
Obama’s comments come amid fresh scrutiny of how digital platforms, including those run by elected leaders, can amplify racist content and disinformation. In the interview, Cohen cited the Trump post while asking about the tone of national debate, prompting Obama to point to the gradual dismantling of “guardrails” that once governed behavior in public office and party leadership.
Even as the post was removed, it continued to circulate in screenshots and re-uploads across social media, underscoring the difficulty of containing offensive content once it has been shared by high-profile accounts. Advocacy groups said the episode illustrates the persistent tension between political combat and the civic responsibilities attached to the presidency.
Obama did not outline specific remedies but suggested that restoring a shared baseline of respect is essential to democratic norms. His remarks add a prominent voice to a debate that is likely to continue as campaigns and officials test the boundaries of what is acceptable in a fast-moving, online-first political arena.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
