Obama responded to a video with racist undertones shared by Trump
The interview with Barack Obama was conducted by American YouTube blogger and podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen. Responding to a question about the decline in the level of political discourse in the United States, the former president noted that most Americans find such behaviour disturbing.
According to Obama, a kind of clown show is unfolding on social media and television, and a sense of shame and respect for the office has been largely lost. He stressed that many citizens continue to believe in decency, courtesy and kindness, and that the response to such manifestations must come from Americans themselves, particularly during the upcoming midterm elections to Congress. Obama also cited the protests in Minneapolis as an example of public reaction.
The scandal erupted after a video appeared on Trump's TruthSocial social media account on the night of 6 February, depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. The post drew sharp criticism, including from some Republican politicians. Trump was accused of racism, but he refused to apologise, while stating that he condemned the racist content of the video.
The president's administration initially called for people not to feign outrage. White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt explained that the video was an excerpt from an internet meme depicting Trump as the king of the jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King cartoon. The post was subsequently deleted, and responsibility for its publication was attributed to a White House employee who allegedly did so by mistake.
