'No Shame, It's a Distraction': Former US President Obama Reacts to AI 'Ape' Video, Calls Out the 'Clown Show'

New Delhi: Former US President Barack Obama on Saturday responded to a controversial AI-generated video that depicted him and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, calling the current political climate a “clown show” and warning that a basic sense of decorum and propriety in office appears to be lost. 

The video, which was later deleted by the White House, had been shared on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account and triggered swift criticism for its racist undertones.

Obama Calls Out “Lack of Shame”

Speaking to a podcaster, Obama praised the American public for recognising the gravity of the moment but criticised what he described as a loss of dignity among those in power.

“First of all, I think it's important to recognise the maturity of the American people to find this behaviour deeply troubling,” Obama said.

He added that while such content may attract attention and distract people.

“It is true that it gets attention. It's true that it's a distraction. There's this sort of clown show that's happening in social media and on television,” he said.

Without naming Trump directly, Obama lamented what he described as a breakdown in standards.

“And what is true is that there doesn't seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office. That's been lost,” he said.

Obama also criticised Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota, describing them as dangerous and comparing the approach to tactics seen in authoritarian regimes.

White House Defends, Then Deletes Post

The minute-long video was shared late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social network. It amplified false claims that the 2020 US presidential election was rigged and ended with an apparently AI-generated clip showing dancing primates with the Obamas’ faces superimposed, set to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”.

Monkey- or ape-like depictions have long been recognised as racist imagery because of their historical use in dehumanising Black people. Barack Obama was the first Black president of the United States.

Trump Condemns, Won't Apologize 

“I didn't see the whole thing,” Trump told reporters. “I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is. Then I gave it to the people. Generally, they look at the whole thing. But I guess somebody didn't.”

When asked whether he condemned the video, Trump said, “Of course I do.” However, he rejected the idea that he had made an error.

“I didn't make a mistake. I mean, I give – I look at a lot – thousands of things,” he said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post, calling the backlash “fake outrage.” She described it as “an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.”

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