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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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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.
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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.
In a post on X, Barack Obama congratulated Team USA, writing: “To all the athletes representing Team USA: 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.”
Michelle Obama followed with her own message of support for the athletes, posting: “Good luck to all the extraordinary athletes representing Team USA 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.”
Trump's late-night post, which has been branded "racist", and the ensuing uproar have dominated political conversation, prompting widespread criticism from across the political divide.
The Obamas' silence on the matter stands out, given that the backlash remains one of the most heavily discussed political stories of the week.
Responding to Barack Obama's post, journalist Ahmed Hussein wrote: "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, they didn’t just ignore Trump, they reminded people what leadership is about."
Trump has since defended the controversial post, saying a White House staffer had inadvertently placed a short snippet of the ape clip, which is part of a longer meme depicting Trump as the "King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King", at the end of a different video about voter fraud, which the president intended to share, saying, "I gave it to the people" to post.
"I looked at it. I saw it, and I just looked at the first part … I didn’t see the whole thing," Trump said.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, he told reporters: “It was a very strong post in terms of voter fraud. Nobody knew that was at the end. If they would have looked, they would have seen it, and probably they would have the sense to take it down.”
He also said he had spoken with Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina—the only Black Republican in the Senate—who had reacted sharply on X, writing on Friday: “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.”
According to Trump, their conversation was positive. “I spoke to Tim Scott, and he was great. Tim is a great guy. He understood that 100 percent,” he told reporters.
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded early Friday in a statement shared with Newsweek: "This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King.
"Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public."
Political analyst and former adviser to Obama, David Axelrod, on X Friday: "No one apparently told the@PressSec that @POTUS's racist retweet late last night portraying the Obamas as apes was a staff mistake, because she defended it this AM and accused the critics of 'phony outrage.'"
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), on X Friday: "Trump posting this video—especially during Black History Month—is a stark reminder of how Trump and his followers truly view people. And we’ll remember that in November."
What Happens Next
It is still not known whether the staffer who allegedly uploaded the video will face any disciplinary action.
Update 07/02/26, 06:58 a.m. ET. This article was updated with more information.
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