At former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral in Washington, DC, the unexpected and seemingly friendly interaction between former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump caught many by surprise. The moment, which went viral, has sparked discussions online, with “The Daily Show” offering its own take on the encounter.
During the ceremony, Obama, Trump, and several other former US leaders, including George W Bush, Bill Clinton, and Mike Pence, were seated together in close proximity. The seating arrangement quickly drew attention, particularly after a viral moment where Trump and Obama appeared to be engaged in a lengthy and amicable conversation, even laughing together.
In its coverage, “The Daily Show” highlighted the awkwardness of the situation, mocking the irony of Obama’s past rhetoric against Trump. The comedian joked, “It’s a little weird for Obama though, right? To go from ‘this guy is future Hitler’ to ‘oh, man, cool story, future Hitler!’” The remark referred to Obama’s strong criticism of Trump during his presidential campaigns, where he frequently referred to him as a danger to democracy.
The interaction didn’t go unnoticed by others at the funeral, including vice president Kamala Harris. In a clip shared by Mediaite, Harris turned around at one point and saw Obama and Trump chatting cordially, before quickly facing forward again, looking visibly unimpressed. The comedian noted, “I don’t know if that funeral music was for Carter or for her. Kamala did the look that I do when someone behind me at the movie theater is talking.”
The joke continued, “She did not seem happy to be sitting that close to Donald Trump. She spent the rest of the day flipping through that funeral program like she was going to find 44 electoral votes in it.”
During Trump’s presidency, Obama was one of his fiercest critics, frequently accusing Trump of fueling divisive politics and endangering American democracy. In one of his more notable critiques, Obama described Trump as “our worst impulses unleashed.”
