By this time, you’ll have already seen the video. In it, Donald Trump and Barack Obama cozy up together at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, sharing a private joke or two before proceedings get underway. They lean in toward each other as soon as Obama takes his seat; Trump says something that makes Obama laugh. From a distance, they look like friends.
That 30-second clip generated multiple cycles of political gossip. Professional lip-readers were even deployed to try and work out what the two were saying (the results are… inconclusive.) Former CNN host Don Lemon posted a YouTube video over the weekend excoriating Obama for the chitchat, saying: “You have to indicate to the American people that this is not normal … grinning with someone that you have called a fascist over the last couple of years and the last months. That’s not normal.” And Trump himself re-shared a doctored version of the clip on Truth Social on Sunday, overlaid with parody subtitles.
What those subtitles say is particularly interesting. Because this is not a version of the video that makes Obama look foolish. Instead, it’s one that positions Obama as his potential golfing buddy, united with him against Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. In it, Parody Obama congratulates Trump and says, “Knew you’d win,” before criticizing Biden and Harris (“I was just as appalled… She was horrendous,” he says to Parody Trump, about Harris.) They then talk about meeting up together privately (“We should meet to discuss things,” says Parody Trump. “I think so too,” replies Parody Obama) to continue some mysterious, meaningful conversations on the privacy of the golf course.
The reactions from both sides of the political spectrum have been surprisingly similar. This is Trump “trolling” Democrats, they say. He’s crowing about his victory and he’s playing to his base. He’s winding people up. He’s pouring gasoline.
But is he? It seems more likely that he is unwittingly underscoring Obama’s power as a politician.
Trump has proven himself over the past decade to be thin-skinned and easily manipulated. He responds well to flattery — even from dictators — and bristles at criticism. We saw the ejection (and sometimes reintroduction) of various critics — Jim Mattis, John Kelly, Anthony Scaramucci — who still broadly shared his views during his first administration. Famously, of course, even Mike Pence ended up on the receiving end of his wrath.
Meanwhile, Obama is a charismatic socialite and deal-maker. He was respectful of the Bush family, particularly George H W Bush — whom he praised for being “underrated” and making “good decisions” in a TV special about the elder Bush’s life — which earned him the friendship of George W in turn (and explains that belly-tap photo from a few days ago). He hangs out with Bruce Springsteen. He is known among junior staffers for his affable, attentive attitude and his respectful demeanor. Unlike Trump, he doesn’t let the mask slip. He is, in other words, a consummate professional.
Add to this the fact that there’s a long history of former presidents giving sitting presidents advice throughout their terms — Richard Nixon wrote Bill Clinton private letters advising him on foreign policy; Herbert Hoover frequently advised Harry Truman, knowing that he had expertise in certain areas that the former lacked; Dubya and Obama have both spoken about the advice George W gave to Barack, ranging from warnings about the personal effects of isolation and the state of North Korea to a reminder to “always use hand sanitizer” because “you’re shaking a lot of hands” — and what you have here is an unremarkable situation. It seems remarkable, because it’s Trump, but it isn’t. Former presidents have always sought to extend their influence beyond their terms.
Both Obama and Joe Biden clearly hope to extend their influences into 2025. That’s why Biden has said he will, “of course,” attend Trump’s second inauguration. And it’s why you saw that viral video at Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Because, with a Republican trifecta in charge of the House, the Senate and the Oval Office, Democrats now have to rely on a heck of a lot of “soft power” as they stagger toward the midterms and the next general election.
Yes, Trump has said some truly outrageous things — xenophobic, disgusting things — and he has been convicted of even worse. But his presidency is a fact that needs navigating. And MAGA is powered by a victim complex. “Draining the swamp” was always about jealousy.
Trump’s most tongue-in-cheek remarks often snowball into real-life strategy — whether that’s meeting with Kim Jong-un after a throwaway comment about Korea or investigating the financial implications of buying swathes of Greenland. But that Truth Social video about golfing with Obama reveals a personal insecurity that goes deep. And manipulating that insecurity might be the best chance Democrats have of reshaping Number 47’s agenda.
