The former president’s remarks came after Trump earlier this month reposted a meme video on Truth Social that included a segment showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed on ape bodies.
Such imagery has long held racist overtones and sparked bipartisan condemnation, forcing the White House into damage control.
Asked directly about the episode during an interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama did not mention Trump by name in his response, but delivered a sweeping rebuke of the tone and tactics that now dominate modern politics.
‘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.’
His intervention marked his most direct public comments since Trump shared the incendiary video, which some critics described as one of the most racially offensive social media posts shared by the president.
