Don Lemon says he knows why Trump, 80, is “obsessed” with former President Barack Obama, 64.
“Donald Trump is obsessed, and you can see it,” the journalist said on The Don Lemon Show, explaining that “he is so jealous of Barack Obama, he cannot stand it.”
“The stuff that he put out about Barack Obama with graffiti on the side of Air Force One is embarrassing. And I mean, it exposes himself at every turn,” Lemon, 60, said in response to Trump’s latest attack against the Obamas on Truth Social.
Trump posted a doctored image of the former president and first lady Michelle Obama waving before boarding Air Force One, which had been spray-painted with slogans such as “Yes We Can,” “BLM,” and “alhamdulillah,” Arabic for “praise be to God.”
Trump has only doubled down on his attacks on Obama after coming under fire earlier this year from members of his own party for a Truth Social post depicting the Obamas as apes.
Trump’s “obsession” with him hasn’t gone unnoticed by Obama himself, who said pointedly in June, “Obviously, you know, I have a room in his head—a suite in his head."
He explained during an appearance on the sports podcast All The Smoke that while he was president, his predecessor wasn’t a priority for him at all, saying, “They’re gone. I’ve got work to do.”
For Trump, it seems the obsession is a sign that he’s distracted. “It shows me somebody who’s not focused on the American people and the job they’re supposed to do,” Obama added.
Lemon believes these continued attacks stem from Trump’s awareness that he will never have “the class, the grace, the good looks, the education, the beautiful family, the beautiful wife” that defined Obama’s time in office.
“One wife, not three or four baby mamas. Not cheating, not with hookers,” Lemon quipped about Trump’s complicated personal life.
“When your wife had just had a baby and you’re out banging a porn star, according to everyone and according to your NDA, and paying her off,” Lemon added, referring to the 2018 allegations by Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump just months after the birth of Barron Trump.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
While Trump has denied the claims, the cheating allegations have followed him into his second term, with others on the left joining Lemon in pointing out that Trump’s hatred of the Obamas stems from his resentment of their happy marriage.
“Trim, smart, handsome, happily married, and he can sing Al Green’s song ‘Let’s Stay Together’ better than Al Green,” host Joy Behar said in a 2025 episode of The View.
“Trump cannot stand it. It’s driving him crazy.”
When reached for comment, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said, “Don Lemon is a low ratings loser that no one takes seriously.”
