Obama's Veiled Jibe At Trump's Racist Apes Video: 'Shame' And 'Decorum' That Once Shaped Public Officials Is Lost

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Former President Barack Obama has taken a veiled jibe a the controversial racist apes video that was posted by US President Donald Trump and later deleted, saying in a podcast that the sense of“shame” and“decorum” that once shaped the conduct of public officials has faded.

Obama made the remarks during an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, who asked the former president, the first Black leader of the United States, about the increasingly harsh tone of political debate. Cohen referenced a recent social media post by Trump as one of several controversies drawing criticism.

The 47-minute episode of the podcast featuring Obama was released on Saturday. It opens with host Brian Tyler Cohen asking the former president to reflect on the state of political discourse in the United States, which Obama says "has devolved to a level of cruelty that we haven't seen before".

Also Read | White House deletes Trump's racist video depicting Obamas as apes amid outrage

Cohen pointed to statements from the White House describing individuals targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as "domestic terrorists", adding that "just days ago, Donald Trump put a picture of you, your face, on an ape's body".

In response, Obama said,“It's important to recognise that the majority of the American people find this behaviour deeply troubling. It is true that it gets attention. It's true that it's a distraction.” However, he mentioned that during his travels across the country, he continues to encounter Americans who“still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness”, according to BBC.

"There's this sort of clown show that's happening in social media and on television," he continued.

“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, right? That's been lost.”

Also Read | Donald Trump refuses to apologise for racist post about Obamas as monkeys

He did not refer to Trump by name in his reply.

During the wide-ranging conversation, Obama addressed several topics. He commended demonstrators who have peacefully mobilised in opposition to immigration enforcement actions, reflected on the issue of electoral redistricting, and spoke about his presidential library, which is scheduled to open in Chicago next year.

The viral racist apes video

The clip, which was set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, appeared at the end of a video shared on Trump's Truth Social account that repeated unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election, which former President Joe Biden won.

In the closing moments of the video, images of the former president and first lady appear with their mouths open, edited onto the bodies of primates.

The decision to take down the post represented an unusual step back by the White House and came only hours after Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had defended it, accusing journalists who covered the controversy of stirring up“fake outrage".

The post sparked backlash from lawmakers across the political spectrum, including senior figures within Trump's own Republican Party.

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