Trump addresses 'friendly' chat with Obama at Carter funeral
Donald Trump and Barack Obama seemingly put their birtherism lies and penis-size jokes aside to chum it up at the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter.
Obama sat beside the newly sentenced felon and his wife, Melania Trump. While it’s expected for the two to play polite, the internet was ablaze when Obama and Trump laughed and smiled like old pals who weren’t, you know, at a funeral.
The internet seemed divided, as always, over this display. Some criticized the exchange, while others said Obama acted with “grace” in the way he handled sitting next to someone he has a contentious history with.
Speaking on Fox News later that day, Trump told host Peter Doocy that the exchange looked “very friendly.”
“I didn’t realize how friendly it looked. I saw it on your wonderful network just a little while ago before I came in, and I said, ‘Boy, they look like two people who like each other,’” Trump said before adding that they “probably do” like each other.
Acknowledging their differences in just about everything, Trump agreed that he and Obama have “a little different philosophies” but said that the two managed to work it out just fine in real life. “We just got along,” he said. “But I got along with just about everybody.”
Trump did not reveal what he and the former president spoke about.
The exchange is shocking given how volatile both presidents have been toward each other.
While Trump has accused Obama of spying on his 2016 campaign and lying about the validity of his birth certificate, the Hawaii-born politician has also been out for blood. Ahead of the 2020 election, Obama criticized Trump heavily.
“He’s still worried about his inauguration crowd being smaller than mine. It really bugs him. He’s still talking about that. Does he have nothing better to worry about?” Obama said, focusing on Trump’s “obsession with crowd size.”
More recently, Obama brought back his below-the-belt reference in favor of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign while also trashing Trump as a serial complainer.
“Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago,” he said.
Obama has not commented publicly on their exchange at Carter’s funeral.
In another odd exchange at the funeral, former Republican President George W. Bush seemingly gave Trump the cold shoulder, passing over Trump as he gave an awkward, bro-like belly tap to Obama before taking his seat.
Whoever made the seating chart deserves to either be fired or given a raise.