By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-10 12:06:06 | Updated at 2025-01-10 15:44:59
3 hours ago
Bipartisan buds?
President-elect Donald Trump said he and former president Barack Obama “probably do” like each other despite having “different philosophies” after the two were seen chitchatting and laughing during former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington on Thursday.
Trump, 78, said he “didn’t realize how friendly” he and Obama appeared together after video of the exchange went viral.
“I said, ‘Boy, they look like two people that like each other.’ And we probably do,” Trump told NBC News from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida following the funeral.
“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.”
Trump didn’t dive into the specifics of the friendly chat.
Forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Post Thursday that it’s possible they were wary of cameras being pointed at them as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder and wanted to appear cordial.
Freeman said the two were possibly chatting about international agreements.
At one point, Trump leaned toward Obama and said, “I’ve pulled out of that. It’s the conditions. Can you imagine that?”
Obama laughed as Trump added, “And after, I will.”
“Call me at the foy after, yep,” Trump said, to which Obama replied, “Can you just … it should be good.”
“I can’t talk, we have to find a quiet place sometime. This is a matter of importance, and we need to do this outside so that we can deal with it, certainly, today,” Trump allegedly said as Obama nodded.
While they both looked to be enjoying each other’s company while paying their respects to former President Carter, Vice President Harris, sitting in front of them during the service, appeared to sigh after spotting Trump and Obama yukking it up.
The veep, who was defeated by Trump in historic fashion in the 2024 election, glanced over her left shoulder to spy on the commanders-in-chief before whipping back around and staring straight ahead.
Harris then appeared to exhale and roll her eyes.
The lighthearted interaction between Trump and Obama came after what has been perceived as a tense relationship over the last decade.
The 45th president was a leading figure in the “birther” movement, questioning whether the 44th president was secretly born in Kenya — a rumor that led to Obama releasing the long-form version of his Hawaiian birth certificate in 2011.
Trump also accused Obama of ordering the feds to “spy” on his campaign over alleged ties to Russia following the 2016 election.
However, Obama has also had his share of critical takes on the president-elect.
While speaking at the Democratic National Convention in August, Obama appeared to make an off-colored joke about Trump’s manhood.
The first black president told the crowd that his successor had a “weird obsession with crowd sizes” while holding his hands about four inches apart.
Obama also mocked Trump in October for delivering lengthy speeches “like Fidel Castro — just on and on” and his “constant attempts to sell you stuff,” such as golden sneakers and Trump-branded Bibles.
The 44th president 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” while campaigning for Harris last year.
His wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, also told Harris supporters in October that “The consequences of [Trump] ever being president again are brutally serious.”
The former first lady did not attend President Carter’s funeral Thursday, her office told the Associated Press.
However, they did not say where or why she was absent.
“Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former President.” according to her spokesperson Crystal Carson.
with Post wires
