Washington, DC – In his first direct response to a series of political provocations, former US President Barack Obama criticized what he called the “lack of decency and decorum” in current US political discourse. Obama’s remarks came in response to a video posted on President Donald Trump’s account that insulted him and his wife, Michelle. Obama also condemned the practices of the Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Loss of taste and respect for the position”
During an interview with political podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, published Saturday, Obama commented for the first time on the video posted on February 5 on the Truth Social platform. The video featured an offensive image of his and his wife Michelle’s faces superimposed on monkey figures. Without directly naming Trump, Obama said, “There’s a sort of farce going on… The fact is, there doesn’t seem to be any shame among people who are supposed to have a certain amount of decency, taste, and respect for the office.”
He added that the majority of Americans find this behavior “deeply troubling,” stressing that the ultimate response to this decline in discourse will come from the American people at the ballot box. The White House attempted to contain the widespread anger from both Republicans and Democrats by blaming an employee who claimed to have posted the video “by mistake.” Trump, however, denied watching the video, despite his insistence on its content, which promotes conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
Immigration campaigns: “dictatorial” behavior in America
Obama’s criticism wasn’t limited to media pronouncements; it extended to the security operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota. He condemned the raids and arrests conducted by thousands of federal agents, some of which resulted in fatal shootings. Obama described these operations as “abnormal and dangerous behavior.” He stated, “This type of behavior is what we’ve seen in the past in authoritarian states and dictatorships.” These strong statements come as the Trump administration attempts to defend these operations as “targeted missions against criminals.” Meanwhile, pressure is mounting from human rights organizations and political leaders to halt these campaigns, which are causing widespread fear in immigrant communities.
