Former President Barack Obama has shared a heartfelt Valentine's Day tribute to his wife Michelle Obama, posting a romantic dance photo on Instagram just one day after publicly condemning a racist video about the couple that was platformed by President Donald Trump's administration.
Romantic Gesture Amid Controversy
The 64-year-old former president, who served from 2009 to 2017, captioned the Instagram post: "Celebrated Valentine's Day with my forever dance partner. Love you, Miche!" The picture shows the former first couple dancing cheek-to-cheek in an intimate embrace, with Michelle Obama wearing a strapless black leather dress and standing before a heart-shaped bouquet of roses.
Michelle Obama, 62, shared the identical photograph on her own social media account with the caption: "My forever Valentine. Love you, always, Barack!" The sweet exchange highlights their 33-year marriage and serves as a poignant contrast to the recent controversy surrounding racist depictions of the couple.
Response to Racist Video
The romantic posts come less than 24 hours after Barack Obama broke his silence regarding a since-deleted video that depicted him and his wife as apes. The offensive content was shared last week to Donald Trump's Truth Social account from an official White House social media profile.
During a 47-minute interview with political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama addressed the racist video and other displays of "cruelty" from the Trump administration. "First of all, I think it's important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling," Obama stated calmly.
He continued: "It is true that it gets attention. It's true that it's a distraction. But, as I'm traveling around the country, as you're traveling around the country, you meet people — they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness."
White House Response and Backlash
A White House official told The Independent that a staffer had "erroneously" made the offensive post. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially claimed the content was "from an internet meme video" and urged critics to "stop the fake outrage."
Obama expressed concern about the erosion of political decorum, noting: "There's this sort of clown show happening in social media and on television, and what is true is that there doesn't seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office. So that's been lost."
Despite widespread condemnation labeling the video as "racist" and "disgusting," Donald Trump has refused to apologize for the incident. The White House has not responded to The Independent's subsequent requests for comment about the controversial video.
Obama concluded his remarks by emphasizing public accountability: "The reason I point out that I don't think the majority of the American people approve of this is because, ultimately, the answer is going to come from the American people."
The juxtaposition of the Obamas' loving Valentine's Day celebration against the backdrop of this racial controversy highlights the ongoing tensions in American political discourse and the personal resilience of the former first couple in the face of public attacks.
