Barack Obama’s Response to Trump’s Video
By Brionna Gillis
Former President Barack Obama indirectly responded to the racially offensive video posted on President Donald Trump’s social media page, in a recent interview.
On a recent podcast episode with liberal podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama addressed the controversial video. Cohen asked the former president about the tone of political discourse, citing Trump’s post and other recent controversies. He noted the claims made by the White House that the victims of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are “domestic terrorists,” and directly asked about the video that was posted by Trump depicting Obama and his wife Michelle Obama as apes.
Courtesy of ABC News
“It’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling…There’s this sort of clown show that’s happening in social media and on television,” said Obama, per the BBC. “What is true is there doesn’t seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like they had to have some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for office.”
Obama did not mention Trump directly in his response.
“I thought Obama’s response was very poised, which is consistent with how he has historically handled controversy. He addressed such an offensive situation with composure and dignity,” said Aniyah Griffin, a third-year strategic communicators major political science minor.
The video was posted to Trump’s social media account two weeks ago and Trump stated that he refused to apologize for it. The White House initially defended the video, calling the backlash “fake outrage,” before the post was eventually then taken down. The video gained widespread backlash and criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
“I think that video was disgusting and hateful, it’s been made crystal clear that Donald Trump is a racist, but what’s sickening is the way he can be so open and honest about it and the backlash barely seemed to have affected him,” said Nevaeh Garner, a third-year strategic communication major.
Although some people appreciated his response, others felt he held back.
“I think that former President Obama gave a very diplomatic response to a disgraceful situation. I definitely think he held back from what he really wanted to say but when you’re in a position of power you have to be careful of what you say,” said Alayana Mitchell, a second year strategic communication major on the prelaw track.
