Former President Barack Obama has finally addressed the racially charged AI-generated video President Trump posted in February 2026 that depicted him and Michelle Obama as apes, but he’s drawing a firm line about how much energy he’ll devote to criticizing the current administration.
In a sweeping new interview with writer Peter Slevin published May 4, 2026, Obama issued a pointed warning to Trump while simultaneously refusing to take what he called the “political bait” of becoming a daily commentator on the chaos emanating from the White House. The remarks, given to The New Yorker, mark Obama’s most direct response yet to one of the most racially charged controversies of Trump’s second term.
A Line That Even Opponents Should Respect
The AI clip, set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” appeared at the end of a longer video that Trump’s Truth Social account shared in February, promoting unfounded claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election. The footage appeared to have been lifted from an X post shared in October by conservative meme creator Xerias and quickly drew bipartisan condemnation. Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
The White House initially defended the post, dismissing the backlash as “fake outrage,” before pivoting to blame the posting on a staff member. The video was eventually deleted, but Trump later confirmed he had posted it himself and refused to apologize. Asked by reporters whether he planned to say sorry, the president flatly replied, “I didn’t make a mistake.”
“I don’t take it personally,” Obama said. “I mean, I’m always offended when my wife and kids get dragged into things, because they didn’t choose this…That’s a line that even people whose politics I deeply reject, I would expect them to care about. I would never talk about somebody’s family in that way.”
With characteristic dry wit, the nation’s first Black president added that Trump should focus his hostility where it belongs: “I’m a fair target in the sense of, yeah, you can feel free to pick on me, because I’m your own size.”
The imagery invoked longstanding racist tropes equating Black people with monkeys. During the State of the Union Address, Congressman Al Green held up a sign declaring “Black People Aren’t Apes,” capturing Democratic fury over the incident.
More Worried About War Videos
But Obama told Slevin the ape video actually isn’t his primary concern regarding Trump’s social media behavior. He expressed greater alarm about other AI-generated videos the president has shared depicting war “like a video game” and showing “excrement dumped on ordinary citizens.” These posts, Obama argued, represent an even more troubling erosion of presidential dignity than the racist caricature targeting his own family.
Why He Won’t Be The Next Jon Stewart
Obama made clear in the wide-ranging interview that he refuses to become what he termed a “commentator” focused on daily Trump outrages, despite pressure from Democrats wanting him to play that role.
“For me to function like Jon Stewart, even once a week, just going off, just ripping what was happening — which, by the way, I’m glad Jon’s doing it — then I’m not a political leader, I’m a commentator,” he said.
He acknowledged frustration among supporters who want more visible resistance, explaining that today’s media landscape obscures his actual work on midterm election efforts and anti-gerrymandering referendum campaigns.
A ‘Clown Show’ And A Country
The New Yorker interview echoed themes Obama raised during a February appearance on liberal podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen’s show. In that 47-minute episode released Saturday, Feb. 14, Cohen described a national discourse that “has devolved to a level of cruelty that we haven’t seen before” and pressed Obama on both the ape video and the administration’s characterization of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid targets as “domestic terrorists.”
Without directly naming Trump, Obama observed that officials who once felt constrained by “decorum” and “respect for the office” now operate with no apparent shame. He labeled the situation a “clown show” while insisting that everyday Americans he encounters while traveling still value “decency, courtesy, kindness.”
The podcast conversation also covered peaceful protests against immigration enforcement operations, redistricting fights and Obama’s upcoming presidential library opening in Chicago in 2027.
His continued political involvement comes at a personal price. Obama revealed to the New Yorker that his public role has generated “genuine tension” in his marriage, with Michelle wanting “to see her husband easing up and spending more time with her, enjoying what remains of our lives.” No other former president has served as the primary party surrogate across four consecutive election cycles after leaving office, Obama noted, which helps him understand the pressure he faces.
For now, he’s choosing his battles carefully — defending his family when necessary, working quietly on electoral campaigns, and letting others handle the commentary.
