President-elect Donald Trump has commented on what appeared to be a friendly interaction with former President Barack Obama during Jimmy Carter’s state funeral held on Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral. This moment has gained significant attention on social media.

As Trump prepares to return to office on January 20, he was seated next to Obama, just a row behind President Joe Biden, where they were exchanging pleasantries and smiles ahead of the ceremony.

“I didn’t realize how friendly it looked,” Trump stated to journalists on Friday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “It seemed like we looked like two people who genuinely liked each other. And perhaps we do,” Trump commented while viewing footage of their interaction on Fox News.

While Trump did not disclose the content of their conversation, he remarked, “We have (a) little different philosophies, right? I’m not sure, but we just seemed to get along. I got along with everyone there. We met backstage before the ceremony, and I thought it was a lovely service, and we all connected very well.”

Trump, Obama, and other living presidents and vice presidents participated in Carter’s funeral, which President Biden designated as a national day of mourning.

Former President Carter, the 39th president of the United States, passed away on December 29 at the age of 100 and was buried next to his wife Rosalynn, with whom he shared 77 years of marriage, during a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

The relationship between Obama and Trump

Even though their interaction seemed warm on Thursday, it’s important to note that Obama and Trump have often clashed during their political careers.

During Trump’s first campaign for president, he repeatedly promised to dismantle various policies established by Obama, including the Affordable Care Act, climate change initiatives, protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, and state laws on legalized marijuana. He also repeatedly questioned Obama’s birthplace.

“I really don’t know,” Trump said in a 2011 interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper when asked if he thought Obama was born in the U.S. “I’m not sure why he wouldn’t release his records. Honestly, I prefer not to delve into it further.”

Obama has voiced his opinions about Trump, notably expressing concerns over his mental stability. In October, he remarked that the nation couldn’t afford an “older, loonier Donald Trump.”

“There are doubts about his capabilities. I mean, he’s out there giving lengthy speeches that go on for hours, resembling Fidel Castro – he just keeps talking. It’s all a jumble of words,” Obama said during a campaign event in support of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in Madison, Wisconsin.