Donald Trump has revealed he and former President Barack Obama “probably do” like each other, despite their political and personal differences over the years.
Asked about the viral video of the two politicians chatting and smiling during President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday, Trump shared with a reporter his thoughts on the moment.
“I didn’t realize how friendly it looked,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Boy, they look like two people that like each other.’ And we probably do. We have a little different philosophies, right? But we probably do. I don’t know. We just got along. But I got along with just about everybody.”
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Donald Trump and Barack Obama together at Jimmy Carter’s funeral. pic.twitter.com/V5gMWe1coK
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 9, 2025
Reports indicate that an adviser to Obama did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the interaction.
The viral moment comes as a surprise to many given the longstanding tensions between the two political figures.
Trump famously fueled the debunked “birther” conspiracy, and falsely claimed Obama was not born in the United States.
Over the years, Trump has repeatedly criticized Obama’s presidency, calling him “ineffective” and “terrible.”
The U.S. president-elect also took a jab at former First lady Michelle Obama in October, calling her “nasty.”
The Obamas, for their part, have also criticized Trump over the years.
During the 2024 campaign, Barack Obama called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”
Michelle Obama also warned of the “brutally serious” consequences America would face should Trump return to being president.
Despite the noise and political interests, their relationship has not been entirely contentious.
In an interview with CNN in August, Trump praised Obama and called him “a nice gentleman”, stating that he respects the Obamas.
After Trump’s victory in the 2016 election, Obama hosted him at the White House and described the meeting as an “excellent” and “wide-ranging” conversation.
At the time, Trump expressed his gratitude for the interaction, and deemed the meeting “a great honor.”
Their viral moment at Carter’s funeral has sparked loads of mixed reactions on social media across party lines.
Some users were pleased to see the two men getting along, but others speculated about the nature of their conversation, with some critics labeling it “fishy” and suggesting that there were potential political motives behind it.
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For now, the interaction remains a rare instance of two leaders getting along and showing each other mutual respect though they have often been at odds.
