Overview
- In his first public comments on the episode, Barack Obama told Brian Tyler Cohen that most Americans find such behavior troubling and described today’s political discourse as a social‑media "clown show."
- The since‑deleted Truth Social post included an AI‑edited clip briefly showing Barack and Michelle Obama as apes within a longer video pushing debunked 2020 election‑fraud claims.
- The White House said a staffer erroneously posted the video, but Trump defended the broader message, said he had not seen the offensive ending, and stated, "I didn’t make a mistake."
- Bipartisan condemnation followed, including Republican Sen. Tim Scott calling it "the most racist thing" from the White House, and reports said Trump privately lashed out at Scott and Sen. Katie Britt after their criticisms.
- Reporting indicates the Obamas clip appears to have been lifted from an earlier meme by conservative creator Xerias, fueling concerns about lax vetting and the amplification of AI and meme content on official channels.