Since his presidency, Barack Obama has faced criticism from opponents over his race. Just when you think things can’t get worse, an Irish politician tried to channel him with “brown makeup.” Eoin Hayes, who is a Social Democrat TD, dressed up as President Obama during a Halloween event.
However, the controversial picture actually dates back 16 years. That didn’t stop the people from talking about it when it resurfaced online. And now Hayes had to issue an apology.
The Social Democrat wrote an apology post on X, reflecting on his “massive blunder.” He revealed that a news outlet was planning to publish his Halloween images on Tuesday. “At a Halloween party 16 years ago, while President of the Students’ Union in University College Cork, I dressed up as someone I greatly admired at the time,” Hayes explained in his tweet.
“U.S. President Barack Obama – whose reelection campaign I went on to work for in 2012. I have been informed that a news outlet possesses photographs of this evening, which they will publish tomorrow (Tuesday),” he added.
I contacted the @SocDems at lunch time about Eoin Hayes’s blackface pics.
We’ll publish four of them in tomorrow’s paper.
The one I sent them when they asked for conformation, on the basis they wouldn’t share it elsewhere, is the one that is being shared tonight 🤔
— Craig Hughes (@TheNewsHughes) September 15, 2025
“While I didn’t have an understanding of how hurtful it was at that time, I came to recognize that in the intervening years, and I am so profoundly sorry. What I did was completely inappropriate and a huge mistake.”
More than his costume, it was his apparent “brown makeup” to achieve a tone somewhat closer to Obama’s, which sparked the controversy. Many have called him out for being “racist” towards the former POTUS.
“I accidentally did blackface 16 years ago. Didn’t realize it was racist at that time, but turns out it was very racist. I’m ever so sorry about that,” one X user wrote, mocking Hayes’ apology statement. The accusation of racism got so brutal that the TD had to add to his post, “I condemn racism in all its forms and do not condone that behavior under any circumstances.”
Statement pic.twitter.com/bhiLHF1KO8
— Eoin Hayes 🌍 (@Eoin_Hayes) September 15, 2025
“I take full responsibility for my actions, and from the bottom of my heart. I apologize for any and all hurt caused by what I did and the images of that night,” Eoin wrote.
On the contrary, many have come to his defense, saying that he shouldn’t be called out over something that happened 16 years ago. “Eoin Hayes made a mistake when he was in college – with absolutely no malice – and is getting grief for it. Come on. Anyone else want to publicize the dumbest thing they did at that age? I certainly don’t. This is a ridiculous non-story,” one X user wrote.
Another echoed, “Christ, the media really is out to get Eoin Hayes.” A third added, “There are two issues around Eoin Hayes and blackface. One: Should he be monstered or ruined for it? Obviously not. Two: is it OK? Obviously not as well. I’m quite a few years older than him, grew up in different times etc., and I’ve never considered it anything other than weird!”
