Overview
- In a podcast interview released Saturday, Barack Obama called the episode a social‑media "clown show" and said most Americans find such behavior deeply troubling.
- CNN reported that President Trump privately fumed at Republican senators Tim Scott and Katie Britt for condemning the post, with one source saying he declared Britt "dead to him."
- Britt’s office labeled CNN’s account "fake news," and the White House publicly described her as an "incredible ally" for whom the president has great respect.
- Additional CNN reporting said Trump favored loyalists at a Palm Beach retreat and sidelined Scott and Britt, a claim based on unnamed sources.
- The Truth Social video, which briefly depicted the Obamas as apes within a longer 2020 fraud montage, was removed after bipartisan backlash; the White House blamed an erroneous staff post, and Trump has refused to apologize or fire the staffer, saying he only viewed the beginning.