Obama Addresses Racist AI Video on Truth Social

Former President Barack Obama addressed a controversial AI-generated video posted on President Donald Trump's Truth Social account that depicted him and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, describing the incident as part of a broader erosion of decorum in American political discourse. In an interview released Saturday with journalist Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama emphasized that most Americans view such behavior as deeply troubling, even as it generates attention online.

The video, which appeared on Trump's platform around February 6, portrayed several politicians as animals but prominently featured the Obamas' faces superimposed on apes in a segment likened by defenders to a parody of "The Lion King." It was part of a longer clip focused on claims of voter fraud and remained online for nearly 12 hours before being removed amid widespread criticism from across the political spectrum. White House officials attributed the post to an unnamed staffer who shared it in error, though Trump later clarified to reporters that he had reviewed and passed along the material himself, stating he liked the beginning and assumed aides would check the rest. "That was a video on voter fraud, and...