Former President Barack Obama is finally responding to the offensive video that President Donald Trump reposted. The “Ape” video created a controversy online, and Obama is finally addressing it. He believes the episode reflects a broader decline in political discourse rather than a single shocking moment.
In an interview published Saturday with Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama, 64, addressed the uproar sparked after Trump shared a fabricated video on Truth Social showcasing Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The post was later deleted following widespread criticism.
Barack Obama has responded after an AI video was posted to Donald Trump’s Truth Social account that depicted the former president and his first lady as apes:
“You know, it is true that it gets attention. It’s true that it’s a distraction. But, you know, as I’m traveling around… pic.twitter.com/vRySg74fG1
— Variety (@Variety) February 14, 2026
According to the Daily Beast, Cohen began by arguing that public rhetoric has “devolved into a level of cruelty that we haven’t seen before.” He further added that conduct once considered “disqualifying just a few years ago” is now often “rewarded.”
He cited recent comments by Trump administration officials who labelled some victims of immigration enforcement shootings as “domestic terrorists,” before changing the subject to the ape video episode.
“Just days ago, Donald Trump put a picture of you—your face—on an ape’s body,” Cohen said. To this, Obama responded with a brief, restrained laugh and addressed the wider issue. “We’ve seen the devolution of the discourse,” Cohen added. “How do we come back from a place that we have fallen into?” Indeed, his response was measured but firm. He said he believes “the majority of the American people find this behaviour deeply troubling.” He describes the online outrage cycle as a strategy designed to capture “attention.” And for the ape video fiasco, he suggested, was “a distraction.”
Drawing a contrast between social media and everyday civic life, Obama referred to the online environment as “a clown show that’s happening on social media and on television.” He argued that while loud voices dominate digital platforms, they do not represent the values of most Americans.
He also talked about the recent mishaps in Minneapolis following deadly encounters involving federal agents. The January 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, and the later death of ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, sparked protests across the Twin Cities. Hence, thousands of federal agents were deployed to the area amid demonstrations. The ex-president said the public response in Minnesota showed that many Americans reject divisive language.
Great sitting down with @BrianTylerCohen to talk about everything from the courage we saw in Minnesota, to how Democrats can be true to our values and get stuff done, to how we’re building a community of changemakers at the @ObamaFoundation. https://t.co/xyskxKbM8n pic.twitter.com/E02yOaHezK
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 14, 2026
“This is not the America we believe in,” he said, praising what he called an “extraordinary outpouring of organizing, community building, decency.” He added that citizens are choosing to “fight back” and “push back” against the propaganda they believe is harmful.
Trump’s repost drew condemnation from Democrats, who labelled it racist and unacceptable. More notably, several Republicans also clapped back at him with criticism.
