Donald Trump has spoken out following a rare moment between him and former President Barack Obama, which occured during former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday (Jan. 9).
Sharing laughs and conversation, the unexpected exchange sparked widespread commentary on the political rivals’ perceived camaraderie.
“I didn’t realize how friendly we appeared,” Trump told NBC News from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida following the funeral. “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.”
While the specifics of their conversation remain unclear, forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman suggested that the two might have been discussing international matters—with acknowledgment that cameras would be on them.
According to Freeman, at one point Trump was seen leaning toward the 44th president saying, “I’ve pulled out of that. It’s the conditions. Can you imagine that?” Obama chuckled as Trump continued, “And after, I will.” The conversation seemed to carry a tone of friendliness, as Trump presumably added, “This is a matter of importance, and we need to do this outside so that we can deal with it, certainly, today.” Obama nodded in agreement.
The lighthearted exchange is a major contrast to their historically tense relationship. Trump has offensively questioned Obama’s citizenship in the past, and even prompted the release of his Hawaiian birth certificate in 2011. Trump also accused Obama of orchestrating federal surveillance on his 2016 campaign, which Obama denied.
President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump speak together ahead of the state funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral on January 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Ricky Carioti/Getty Images
Obama has not been shy about how he feels about Trump either. During the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Obama joked about Trump’s “weird obsession with crowd sizes” and later mocked Trump’s lengthy speeches—comparing them to Fidel Castro’s. While campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, Obama also referred to Trump as a “78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”
Vice President Kamala Harris attended the funeral as well and sat in front of Trump and Obama during the service. Harris appeared less amused by their “friendly” exchange as she could be seen glancing over her shoulder at the duo before rolling her eyes and sighing. Former First Lady Michelle Obama was absent from the sad occasion, as her whereabouts were not made known.
While the political history between Trump and Obama has been filled with animosity, their brief kiki gave a glimpse into some sort of civility between the two. Whether the exchange was genuine or not, social media had much to say.
Check out some reactions below and see Donald Trump speak on his exchange with Barack Obama above.
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