It was the kind of moment that left viewers scratching their heads: former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama, political adversaries, sitting side by side and laughing during former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral in January.
That image alone had people asking, What on earth am I watching?
Even more surprising, former Vice President Kamala Harris—who lost the election to Trump—appeared visibly irritated by the interaction. Michelle Obama was notably absent, reportedly choosing not to attend the funeral of the former president.
A clip from the event circulated online with the caption:
NEW: Donald Trump seen cracking jokes with former President Barack Obama at Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington D.C.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 9, 2025
Kamala Harris was seen looking back as the two men appeared to be getting along. pic.twitter.com/dHrB2m7GZi
“NEW: Donald Trump seen cracking jokes with former President Barack Obama at Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington D.C. Kamala Harris was seen looking back as the two men appeared to be getting along.”
So what sparked the unexpected laughter between two men who rarely have a kind word for each other?
According to the book “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” released Tuesday, Trump extended a surprising invitation: a round of golf.
“He sat next to Barack Obama and invited him to play golf, enticing him with descriptions of Trump’s courses around the world,” the book reveals, as reported by Axios.
One of the book’s authors, Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey, told Fox News that Trump was actively trying to charm his predecessor:
“President Trump’s conversation with Obama at Jimmy Carter’s funeral revealed: ‘He was charming him!’
‘He offered him to go play golf with him.’
‘In the aftermath of the election, Trump was actually interacting with Kamala Harris, with Biden, with Obama. All of his interactions were pretty friendly.’”
But the golf talk may not have been the only topic of conversation.
According to forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman, the two men appeared to be disguising a more serious exchange with lighthearted expressions. At one point, Trump reportedly leaned over and told Obama:
“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,”
Obama nodded in agreement.
Despite the seemingly warm exchange, the book notes that while Trump said he “didn’t realize how friendly” Obama was, no one should expect them to become golf buddies any time soon.
