Former U.S. President Barack Obama has spoken out about the racist video that depicts him and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, a video that current U.S. President Donald Trump shared on social media, deleted, and then claimed he “didn’t make a mistake” by posting.
In his interview with the former president, political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen cited the racist video as an example of public discourse devolving into cruelty, and Cohen asked Obama how American society can come back from that place.
kAm“u:CDE @7 2==[ x E9:?< :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ C64@8?:K6 E92E E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6 7:?5 E9:D 3692G:@C 566A=J EC@F3=:?8[” ~32>2 C6A=:65] “*@F <?@H[ :E :D ECF6 E92E :E 86ED 2EE6?E:@?] xE’D ECF6 E92E :E’D 2 5:DEC24E:@?]”k^Am
kAmqFE DF49 3692G:@C :D ?@E H92E ~32>2 D66D 24C@DD p>6C:42[ 96 6IA=2:?65] “pD x’> EC2G6=:?8 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ[ 2D J@F’C6 EC2G6=:?8 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ[ J@F >66E A6@A=6] %96J DE:== 36=:6G6 :? 5646?4J[ 4@FCE6DJ[ <:?5?6DD[” 96 D2:5] “p?5 E96C6’D E9:D D@CE @7 4=@H? D9@H E92E’D 92AA6?:?8 :? D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 @? E6=6G:D:@?] p?5 H92E :D ECF6 :D E92E E96C6 5@6D?’E D66> E@ 36 2?J D92>6 23@FE E9:D 2>@?8 A6@A=6 H9@ FD65 E@ 766= =:<6 J@F 925 E@ 92G6 D@>6 D@CE @7 564@CF> 2?5 2 D6?D6 @7 AC@AC:6EJ 2?5 C6DA64E 7@C E96 @77:46[ C:89En $@ E92E’D 366? =@DE]”k^Am
k5:G :5lQ2EE249>6?E0`ac`ahfQ DEJ=6lQH:5E9i gedAIQ 4=2DDlQHA\42AE:@? 2=:8??@?6Qmk:>8 2C:2\56D4C:3653JlQ42AE:@?\2EE249>6?E\`ac`ahfQ 4=2DDlQHA\:>286\`ac`ahf D:K6\=2C86Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\gddIdf_];A8Q 2=ElQs@?2=5 %CF>AQ H:5E9lQgddQ 96:89ElQdf_Q DC4D6ElQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\gddIdf_];A8 gddH[ 9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\cbcIagh];A8 cbcH[ 9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\fegId`a];A8 fegH[ 9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\a_cgI`bed];A8 a_cgH[ 9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\abcI`dd];A8 abcH[ 9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\df_Ibg_];A8 df_H[ 9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_`^v6EEJx>286D\a`egbb_feh\`_`cIefe];A8 `_`cHQ D:K6DlQ2FE@[ W>2I\H:5E9i gddAIX `__GH[ gddAIQ ^mkA :5lQ42AE:@?\2EE249>6?E\`ac`ahfQ 4=2DDlQHA\42AE:@?\E6IEQmq:== !F8=:2?@^v6EEJ x>286Dk^Amk^5:Gm
kAm%CF>A D92C65 E96 @776?5:?8 4=:A[ H9:49 A2:C65 E96 C24:DE :>286CJ H:E9 4@?DA:C24J E96@C:6D 23@FE E96 a_a_ 6=64E:@?[ :? 2 %CFE9 $@4:2= A@DE @? u63CF2CJ d] %96 ?6IE >@C?:?8[ (9:E6 w@FD6 AC6DD D64C6E2CJ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^A6@A=6^<2C@=:?6\=62G:EE^Qmz2C@=:?6 {62G:EEk^2m 42==65 E96 4=:A “2? :?E6C?6E >6>6 G:56@ 56A:4E:?8 !C6D:56?E %CF>A 2D E96 <:?8 @7 E96 ;F?8=6 2?5 s6>@4C2ED 2D 492C24E6CD 7C@> k6>m%96 {:@? z:?8k^6>m” 2?5 566>65 E96 6?DF:?8 324<=2D9 “72<6 @FEC286[” A6C k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?JE:>6D]4@>^a_ae^_a^_e^FD^A@=:E:4D^ECF>A\@32>2D\G:56@\2A6D\ECFE9\D@4:2=]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQm%96 }6H *@C< %:>6Dk^2mk^6>m]k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FEQmk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\4@?E6?EQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acde_d^;:>>J\<:>>6=\ECF>A\6ADE6:?\7:=6D\>@?@=@8F6\G:56@^Qmk:>8 96:89ElQ`deQ H:5E9lQac_Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_a^;:>>J\<:>>6=\c\6`ff_hghhhecdb\`ca_Ifhg];A8Q 2=ElQy:>>J z:>>6= w2E496D !=@E E@ |2<6 %CF>A w2E6 w62C:?8 w:D ~H? }2>6Q ^mk^2mk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\=236=Qm#6=2E65k^5:Gmk9bmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acde_d^;:>>J\<:>>6=\ECF>A\6ADE6:?\7:=6D\>@?@=@8F6\G:56@^Qmy:>>J z:>>6= w2E496D !=@E E@ |2<6 %CF>A w2E6 w62C:?8 w:D ~H? }2>6k^2mk^9bmk^5:Gmk^5:Gm
kAmqFE E96 @FEC286 D66>65 G6CJ C62=] #6AF3=:42? &]$] $6?2E@C %:> $4@EE @7 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ 2 %CF>A 2==J[ D2:5 E96 G:56@ H2D “E96 >@DE C24:DE E9:?8 x’G6 D66? @FE @7 E9:D (9:E6 w@FD6[” E96 k6>m%:>6Dk^6>m C6A@CE65]k^Am
kAmp3@2C5 p:C u@C46 ~?6 @? u63CF2CJ e[ %CF>A 4=2:>65 96 @?=J H2E4965 E96 7:CDE A2CE @7 E96 G:56@ 2?5 5:5?’E D66 E96 2A6 56A:4E:@? 2?5 DF886DE65 :E H2D 2 DE2776C H9@ A@DE65 :E[ 2D D66? :? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^H2E49nGlq;DEf!$;=|@Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQm2 k6>m&$p %@52Jk^6>m G:56@k^2m] w6 2=D@ 564=:?65 E@ 2A@=@8:K6[ D2J:?8[ “}@[ x 5:5?’E >2<6 2 >:DE2<6] x =@@< 2E 2 =@E @7[ E9@FD2?5D @7 E9:?8D] x =@@<65 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 :E] xE H2D 7:?6]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 w625=:?6Dik^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF=mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acdcce^H:?E6C\@=J>A:4D\a_ae\D4965F=6\H66<\E9C66^Qma_ae ~=J>A:4D %' $4965F=6 (66< bi w@H E@ (2E49 tG6CJ tG6?E 2E E96 (:?E6C v2>6Dk^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acdh_f^32C24<\@32>2\5@?2=5\ECF>A\C24:DE\G:56@^Qmq2C24< ~32>2 $A62<D ~FE p3@FE #24:DE ':56@ s@?2=5 %CF>A !@DE65k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acdh_d^DA6?46C\AC2EE\D:DE6C\DE6A92?:6\D6?5D\3@=5\>6DD286\=@D\2?86=6D\>2J@C\3:5^Qm$A6?46C !C2EE’D $:DE6C $E6A92?:6 $6?5D q@=5 |6DD286 E@ w:D {p |2J@C2= q:5k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`accbac^J6D\562C\42?46==2E:@?\43D\D:E4@>^Qm‘*6D[ s62C’D $6C:6D u:?2=6 p:C65 a_ *62CD p8@ — w@H U2>Aj (9J s:5 xE t?5nk^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acdh_b^;2>6D\G2?\56C\366<\D?=\>@?@=@86\C6DFC7246D\27E6C\562E9\72?D\A@DE\EC:3FE6D^Qmy2>6D '2? s6C q66<’D ‘$}{’ |@?@=@8F6 #6DFC7246D p7E6C w:D s62E9k^2mk^=:mk^F=m

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.