Web desk: Former US President Barack Obama criticised the decline of decorum and respect in the country’s political discourse. He spoke publicly on Saturday for the first time in response to a post on Donald Trump’s social media account that depicted him and First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.
In a wide-ranging podcast interview with left-wing commentator Brian Tyler Cohen released on Saturday, Obama also compared the actions of federal agents carrying out the president’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota to practices seen in authoritarian regimes.
The controversial video shared on Trump’s Truth Social account on February 5 drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. The White House initially dismissed concerns as fake outrage before blaming a staff error and removing the post.
The video lasted about one minute and promoted conspiracies regarding Trump’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. It briefly showed the Obamas with their faces placed on the bodies of monkeys for one second.
During the interview Cohen highlighted the incident and said the political discourse had reached unprecedented levels of cruelty. Obama responded without naming Trump and said most Americans find such behavior deeply troubling.
He noted that social media and television have become a platform for a clown show. He added that Americans lost the sense of decorum and respect for public office that once existed.
Obama predicted that such messaging could hurt Trump’s Republicans in upcoming midterm elections. He said ultimately the American people will provide the answer.
Trump told reporters that he stands by the video’s claims about election fraud but denied seeing the offensive clip at the end.
Turning to immigration, Obama criticised the Minnesota crackdown and condemned the conduct of federal agents during the operation. He said the officers’ behavior, including two fatal shootings, resembled what authoritarian countries do.
Thousands of federal agents, including officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, carried out weeks of raids and arrests that the Trump administration described as targeting criminals.
Obama called the agents’ rogue actions deeply concerning and dangerous. However, he said he found hope in communities resisting the operation.
He praised ordinary citizens who organised protests and refused to accept actions that do not reflect American values. He said their systematic and peaceful efforts in subzero weather should give people hope.
The aggressive immigration operation sparked nationwide outrage and large protests. Lawmakers debated funding for the Department of Homeland Security on Saturday, which oversees ICE, and the agency faced a partial government shutdown.
Democrats opposed any new DHS funding until Congress implements significant reforms in how ICE conducts its operations.
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