Obamas Ignore Trump Ape Post in First Comments Since Backlash

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published Feb 07, 2026 at 06:27 AM EST updated Feb 07, 2026 at 07:22 AM EST


Barack and Michelle Obama have issued their first public statements since President Donald Trump faced intense backlash for posting a video that depicted the former Democratic president and his wife as apes—but the couple made no mention of the controversy. Newsweek has contacted the White House and the Obama Foundation via email for comment.

Why It Matters

The Obamas’ comments came just hours after Trump deleted the controversial AI-generated ape clip from his Truth Social account before later defending the post without offering an apology.

What To Know

On Friday evening, the Obamas shared social media posts which made no reference—direct or indirect—to Trump, the video, or the fallout surrounding it.

Instead, they focused entirely on cheering on U.S. athletes competing at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/obamas-ignore-trump-ape-post-in-first-comments-since-backlash-11482555

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Link to tweet

Barack Obama
·
Feb 6, 2026
@BarackObama
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To all the athletes representing @TeamUSA: I'm so proud of you. Your talent and perseverance have brought you to this moment, and Michelle and I will be joining Americans from across the country cheering you on.
Ahmed Hussein
@ahmadd_hussein_
·
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Instead of getting dragged into Trump’s provocation, Obama chose dignity over distraction. By posting this message uplifting Team USA, Obama redirected the moment toward unity and pride. In doing so, Obama didn’t just ignore Trump, he reminded people what leadership is about.

Link to tweet

Michelle Obama
@MichelleObama
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Good luck to all the extraordinary athletes representing @TeamUSA at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics! It’s been so inspiring to follow your journeys to the world stage, and we'll be cheering you on as you compete in Italy.
7:22 PM · Feb 6, 2026

[gab13by13]

1. Anyone ask rabid Krasnov supporter Tim Scott

if that's how Krasnov feels about him?

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Scott actually woke up out of his "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil", slumber and called it out

Sen. Tim Scott calls Trump post about Obamas ‘the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House’

[popsdenver]

15. We should talk continually about

how Trump/Melania and Barack/Michelle are polar opposites....................The Obamas being incredibly wonderful human beings, and The Trump menagerie being the most despicable, sub human, excrement in all of the U.S.

That having been said....to any moderate dems out there, the time has long passed for taking the high road and being honorable.

The Republicans have been fighting since 1980 using Guerrilla warfare tactics, and the dem politicians have been bringing pea shooters to the fight.....NONE of the Dems protested the corrupt and treasonous HWBush CABAL in 1980.....Same for the 2000 election, same for the 2004 election, same for the 2016 election, and most recently the 2024 election........

In my mind, this 2026 election is the ABSOLUTE last stand possibility, and THIS CABAL of Republicans will stop at nothing to win. Absolutely Nothing......This is it, folks.

The Repubs are already beginning to plan and install countless corrupt election schemes, and there will be more....including their normal...
Infamous & dishonest......"OCTOBER SURPRISE"...that they always pull at the last minute.......

[ShazzieB]

22. Well how about that!

I never would have expected it of him. If doesn't erase all of his previous bowing and scraping to his dear leader, but it does take a little bit of the Stepin Fetchit taste out of my mouth where he's concerned.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. I still think the bigger one to suddenly wake up out of a many decades-long stupor

was Distort D'Newza (when suddenly he realized he was an Indian-American and no longer "assimilated" ) -

Link to tweet

Dinesh D'Souza
@DineshDSouza
·
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In a career spanning 40 years, I have never encountered this type of rhetoric. The Right never used to talk like this. So who on our side has legitimized this type of vile degradation? It’s a question worth thinking about.
Ribbert
@Ribbert231167
Replying to @DineshDSouza
You’re Indian, you made nothing, you are nothing, and devoid of creation. Your ilk has been a race of slaves for hundreds of years, and even after being given a chance, you prove what worth you are, devoid of actual thought. Your existence causes me disgust
9:20 AM · Oct 21, 2025

[Montauk6]

7. "MISSA TRUMP, H-H-HE A GOOD MAYN..."

[MLWR]

2. Good. The racist bag of excrement should be ignored; he isn't worth the effort of a response.

[popsdenver]

16. Trump and Republicans

don't care what they say or do, no matter how vile..............They are just doing it all, for the sake of having video clips and recordings for Fox News propoganda, to continually excite and provoke all the Trumphumpers.....

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. Class acts, all the way.

I miss having them in the White House. President Obama's farewell speech was so prescient, one for the ages.

[lostnfound]

4. Exercising their freedom to remain true to their values of unselfishness, grace, positivity ❤️

We can all learn from that.

[tavernier]

6. Wouldn't have expected any less.

So so, so nice to see and hear a president with dignity and grace. How very much we have missed that.

[mdbl]

8. The Obamas have too much class to stoop dump's level

I on the other hand do not and think Donald Dump is the weirdest, dumbest, most racist asshole ever to inhabit our planet.

[AllaN01Bear]

9. "" thank you.

[orangecrush]

10. Pure ciass

[Joinfortmill]

11. As they say, "They didn't dignify it with a response". I love them both. Boy, if only we had them now.

[twodogsbarking]

12. The Obamas are on the high road. Trump is in the sewer drain. Drain the sewer.

[angrychair]

13. The messaging is nice

That said I do not agree that it should go unanswered. That has been the very thing that has lead us to this point.
No one takes him seriously. Shrugs off or ignores his insanity.
What that does is makes his voice the only one people hear. He is a psychopath and a narcissist. He looks at this type of silence as fear and he sees it as dominance. Republicans will see it that way as well.

We need to fucking stop taking the high road in every damn thing. Sometimes getting in the mud is worth getting a little dirty to punch the asshole in the mouth.
People want fighters. Not doormats.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. The descendent victims of 400+ years of abject racism in this country

shouldn't have to have to keep calling out the obvious while others in the political world sit idly by, dubbing it "identity politics".

[angrychair]

19. I agree with the sentiment

But that is kind of my point.
But I also think we cannot overlook the level of impact and shock to the conscience of the nation it would be for president Obama to call a press conference go out there, no podium, just a mic, and say "fuck you Mango Mussolini (well he would use his real name) and fuck your whole family"

Drop the mic and walk off stage.

Is it extreme? I would find it hard to seriously argue anything is too extreme at this point.

I think it would wake people up and they might finally start paying attention.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. I have posted here multiple times

that calling them "racists" hits them at the center of the bullseye. It is a weakness that they reflexively recoil from because they have tried for centuries to normalize it and keep it normalized, but don't want to be exposed for doing just that. It's a trigger.

But other loud voices dissuade from calling it out because "identity politics".

So as long as that is not reconciled, they'll keep doing it.

[FakeNoose]

18. I would like to see some other great American respond on the Obamas' behalf

... maybe someone like Pope Leo for example.

I know that wouldn't happen, but I'd like it to be someone unassailable. And that would be the end of it.
Except it wouldn't be the end of it, and we all know that.

The Obamas are doing the right thing by ignoring Chump and his stupid Xweets, that aren't from him anyway.
They're being done in his name and most of them are vile.

[Vinca]

14. A class act.

[ificandream]

21. That's what you expect from a real leader that doesn't sink to the level of a whiny child.