 "Former President Barack Obama talks with President-elect Donald Trump, next to Melania Trump, as they arrive to attend the state funeral for former president Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, on Thursday. AP")
Long-standing rivals President-elect Donald Trump and former president Barack Obama shared a warm exchange while seated next to each other at former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday.
According to The Hill report, cameras captured the two at Washington National Cathedral, where they were seen laughing and chatting for several minutes before the services commenced.
As Trump entered the cathedral, he shook hands with several rivals, including former Vice President Mike Pence, with whom he exchanged a few words. He also greeted former Vice President Al Gore, seated next to Pence.
While Trump remained seated when Obama approached him, the two engaged in what appeared to be a friendly conversation after taking their seats, added the report.
Carter’s funeral gathered all five living American presidents: Trump, Obama, President Biden, former President Clinton, and former President George W. Bush.
However, the interaction between Trump and Obama stood out due to their history of animosity.
The nearly one-minute-long clip, which is now going viral, also captures Trump’s 2024 presidential rival VP Kamala Harris, glancing back at the duo, seemingly intrigued by the unexpected camaraderie.
For years, Trump falsely claimed that Obama was not born in the US and shouldn’t have been eligible to be president, accusing him of spying on his 2016 campaign.
Obama campaigned vigorously against Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024, labeling him a threat to democracy and a bully.
Notably, Obama roasted Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, an event seen as pivotal in Trump’s decision to run for president after years of hinting at it.
Thursday also marked the first time Pence and Trump had been together since their administration ended in January 2021, with Pence seated a row behind Trump. Their relationship soured after Pence refused Trump’s pressure to reject the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021.
Meanwhile, President Biden warned against “hate” and the “abuse of power” in a speech at the funeral.
“We have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor, and to stand up to… the greatest sin of all, the abuse of power,” AFP quoted Biden, who leaves the White House on January 20, as saying in his eulogy for former president Carter.
With inputs from agencies