Barack Obama

Read the latest post-presidency news about President Barack Obama on Newser.com

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Trump Accuses Obama of Leaking Info on Aliens

'He took it out of classified information'

(Newser) - President Trump is accusing a predecessor of spilling top-secret details about aliens. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump said Barack Obama revealed classified information when he commented about extraterrestrials on a podcast over the weekend, USA Today reports. "He gave classified information, he's not...

Black Allies Defend Trump on Race
Black Allies Defend
Trump on Race
Feb 18, 2026 7:10 PM CST

Black Allies Defend Trump on Race

Presidential pardon czar says her presence shows 'how he feels about Black Americans'

(Newser) - During a White House Black History Month event on Wednesday, President Trump honored the Rev. Jesse Jackson while showcasing praise from Black supporters and revisiting his record on race-related issues. The Black History Month event at the White House was held shortly after an outcry erupted over a video Trump...

Analyses: Obama Owes a Large Debt to Jesse Jackson

Jackson's runs in the 1980s reshaped party rules, showed a Black candidate can win

(Newser) - Two analyses about the late Jesse Jackson make the case that his presidential runs in 1984 and 1988 paved the way for Barack Obama to become the nation's first Black president in 2008. The reasons are both practical and cultural:
  • Practical: At CBS News , Todd Feurer writes that Jackson
...

After Claiming Aliens Are 'Real,' Obama Clarifies

Former president says he saw 'no evidence' of contact

(Newser) - Former President Obama is walking back his belief in aliens after touching off a mini-panic over the weekend. On an appearance on Brian Tyler Cohen's No Lie podcast , Obama was hit with a lightning-round question: "Are aliens real?" He replied, "They're real but I haven't...

Asked About Ape Video, Obama Laments 'Clown Show'

Former president doesn't name Trump, but he worries about American discourse

(Newser) - Barack Obama is addressing the infamous ape video for the first time, and he sees it as an example of what he calls the "clown show" of American discourse at the moment. When appearing on the No Lie podcast , host Brian Tyler Cohen asked Obama about President Trump reposting...

Trump on Racist Obama Post: 'I Didn't Make a Mistake'

No apology for post from his account showing Obamas as apes, though he says he condemns it

(Newser) - President Trump's racist social media post featuring former President Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was deleted Friday after bipartisan backlash calling the video offensive. However, Trump said later Friday he won't apologize for the post. "I didn't make a mistake,...

After Bipartisan Backlash, Trump Deletes Video

White House says racist video depicting Obamas as apes was 'erroneously' posted by staffer

(Newser) - President Trump hit delete Friday after posting a video that Democrats and some of his Republican allies called racist. The minute-long clip, shared in a Truth Social post late Thursday, pushed claims about 2020 election fraud before ending with Barack and Michelle Obama's faces pasted onto cartoon apes as...

Video Posted by Trump Portrays Obamas as Apes

White House dismisses criticism, calls video part of Lion King meme context

(Newser) - President Trump went on a Truth Social posting spree overnight, and one of the videos he put up includes a clip of Barack and Michelle Obama depicted as apes. Democrats are incredulous, while the White House is accusing them of "fake outrage." The details:
  • The video: The clip
...

Michelle Obama Won't Ask Malia, Sasha One Question

'Are you dating anyone?' is something ex-first lady tries to avoid with daughters, she says on podcast

(Newser) - Michelle Obama says she's trying to retire one of the most common small-talk questions moms ask their daughters: "Are you dating anyone?" In a surprise showing on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast on Wednesday, the former first lady, who just turned 62, said she's aware...

Rogan Slams Trump's Mockery of Presidential Plaques in WH

Podcaster warns that partisan insults undermine historical integrity of presidency

(Newser) - Joe Rogan thinks one of President Trump's latest White House moves crosses a line. On an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience released on Christmas Day, the podcaster blasted the new presidential plaques Trump has installed along the "Presidential Walk of Fame" at the White House, per the...

Trump Includes 'Scum' in Christmas Message

President talks border, economy as past presidents strike a different tone

(Newser) - President Trump used his Christmas greeting this year to again attack his political opponents, delivering a message that was heavier on his customary political talking points than it was peace on Earth. In a post Wednesday on X, the president wrote, "Merry Christmas to all, including the Radical Left...

Obama's Year-End List of Faves Just Dropped

Former president reveals his 2025 picks in films, books, and music

(Newser) - Former President Obama has become known in his post-Oval Office years (and even while he still resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.) for a holiday tradition of sorts: revealing his favorite books, movies, and tunes. This year's selections dropped on Thursday. "I hope you find something new to...

Celebrities, Politicians Mourn Rob Reiner

Actor-director remembered as a 'big-hearted genius'

(Newser) - Hollywood figures and politicians are among those reacting to the death of actor-director Rob Reiner, who was found dead with his wife Michele Reiner at their home in Los Angeles on Sunday. The acclaimed director and Emmy winner was also a major Democratic booster, per the AP , leading many prominent...

Obama Drops in on Veterans Honor Flight to DC

Former president boards plane to thank Korea, Vietnam veterans

(Newser) - A group of veterans traveling to Washington, DC ahead of Veterans Day had a surprise visitor: Barack Obama. The Korean War and Vietnam War veterans were on an Honor Flight from Madison, Wisconsin, organized by the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit that helps veterans visit war memorials in the nation'...

Obama Doesn't Quite Endorse in Call to Mamdani

Former president offers counsel in New York mayoral race

(Newser) - Barack Obama quietly reached out to Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, offering a rare gesture of support days before New York's mayoral election. The former president's 30-minute phone call, described by people familiar with the conversation, was not an endorsement, the New York Times reports, but Obama praised Mamdani'...

In 2 High-Stakes Governor Races, Obama Hits the Trail

Former president will campaign with Spanberger in Virginia and Sherrill in New Jersey

(Newser) - Former President Obama will campaign alongside Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in the final stretch of their statewide campaigns for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. Spanberger's and Sherrill's campaigns said in Tuesday news releases that Obama will campaign with both candidates at Nov. 1 rallies...

Obama: Republicans Are Trying to 'Rig the Next Election'

Former president backs California redistricting in new ad

(Newser) - Former President Obama is entering the fight for US House control by appearing in a 30-second ad urging California voters to approve a November ballot proposal that could add as many as five Democrat-held House seats in the state, per the AP . Proposition 50 would dramatically reshape California's congressional...

After 16 Years, Marc Maron Says So Long to 'WTF'
Marc Maron Unveils
His Last Guest
Oct 13, 2025 6:24 AM CDT

Marc Maron Unveils His Last Guest

It's a return appearance for Barack Obama to end the WTF podcast

(Newser) - Former President Obama helped Marc Maron lock the gates on his podcast Monday, returning to the show for the final episode after 16 years and more than 1,600 episodes. The former president gave new status to "WTF With Marc Maron" and to podcasts in general when he visited...

Obama Warns of Unprecedented Crisis
Obama Warns of
Unprecedented Crisis
Sep 18, 2025 4:30 AM CDT

Obama Warns of Unprecedented Crisis

In wake of Charlie Kirk shooting, he says US is at an 'inflection point'

(Newser) - Former President Obama warned that the US faces a "political crisis of the sort that we haven't seen before" following the recent killing of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk, the BBC reports. Speaking at an event in Pennsylvania Tuesday, Obama called Kirk's death "horrific" and a...

Toobin: Trump Went Too Far on Obama
Toobin: Trump Went
Too Far on Obama
OPINION
Jul 25, 2025 12:15 PM CDT

Toobin: Trump Went Too Far on Obama

Accusing his predecessor of 'treason' is 'as significant as it is chilling'

(Newser) - President Trump is never shy about going after his political enemies, but Jeffrey Toobin writes that he has crossed a line by accusing former President Obama of treason—a crime punishable by death. Trump "is wrong on the facts and the law, and his sensational allegation serves only to...

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