Donald Trump, the president-elect, stated on Thursday that he and former President Barack Obama “probably do” get along.
When questioned about the viral footage of the two presidents conversing during President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday, he was talking to a reporter.
Trump added, “I didn’t realize how friendly it looked,” while speaking from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.
“They appear to be two people who like each other,” I said. And we most likely do,” Trump remarked. “I take it that our philosophies are somewhat different? However, we most likely do. I’m not sure. We simply got along. However, I got along with almost everyone.
A request for comment Thursday evening was not immediately answered by an Obama adviser.
In recent years, Trump has propagated the so-called birther conspiracy theory about Obama, claiming that he was not born in the United States, and the bitter political adversaries have regularly attacked one another.
Trump has frequently insulted the Obamas, calling former first lady Michelle Obama ugly in October and claiming that Obama was a bad and ineffectual president.
On the campaign trail last year, the Obamas attacked Trump. Trump has been described by the former president as a “78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.” During the campaign, the former first lady stated that “the consequences of him ever being president again are brutally serious.”
However, not all of the interactions have been controversial.
Trump gave his predecessor uncharacteristic praise in August. He described Obama as “a nice gentleman” and that he respects the Obamas when he told CNN that he likes him.
Trump was welcomed to the White House by Obama following his initial victory in 2016. The two had a terrific and extensive chat, Obama told reporters at the time, while Trump told his predecessor, “It was a great honor being with you.”