OBAMA SLAMS TRUMP'S RACIST APES VIDEO

By Rob Redding

Editor & Publisher

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2026, 11 a.m. — In a fierce rebuke, former President Barack Obama condemned the current state of American politics after Donald Trump shared a racist meme depicting him and Michelle Obama as apes. The incendiary video, which surfaced on social media, was part of a pro-Trump meme attacking the 2020 election claims.

During a candid interview, Obama did not mention Trump by name but delivered a sweeping critique of the tone and tactics dominating modern political discourse. “First of all, I think it's important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” Obama said. “It is true that it gets attention. It's true that it's a distraction… you meet people… they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness, and there's this sort of clown show that's happening in social media and on television.”

Trump, who initially refused to apologize for reposting the offensive clip, insisted he hadn’t watched the entire video before sharing it. “What I saw in the beginning was really strong. It was about fraudulent elections. Anytime I see that stuff and it's credible, you put it up. I didn't do it. This was done by someone else. It was a re-truth but that was a very strong truth,” he claimed.

Bipartisan condemnation poured in quickly. Senator Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House,” and others urged Trump to remove the post, which was later deleted.

Meanwhile, Obama joked about his own political future, saying “Michelle would divorce me if I even if I could run again,” signaling that any bid for office is off the table. Instead, he and Michelle are focused on their foundation’s work to inspire young leaders around the world.

Rob Redding is the author of No. 1 best selling book Black Power in the Age of Artificial Supremacy Featuring Redding-Shim Kwet Yung . He is the bestselling author of 18 books. He is the host of Redding News Review Unrestricted and creator of ReddingNewsReview.com. He is also an emerging visual artist who lives and teaches at two colleges in New York City.