'Why Dems lost': Critics bemused by 'embarrassing' vid of Trump, Obama 'yakking it up' at Carter funeral

09 January

Editor's note: The headline for this story has been updated.

An image of former President Barack Obama laughing as President-elect Donald Trump whispered in his ear at the state funeral of President Jimmy Carter is going viral, and provoking strong reactions from journalists, experts and commentators on social media.

On Bluesky, Alejandra Caraballo, who is a clinical instructor at the Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic, responded to the image by quoting comedian George Carlin, who famously said of the American elite: "It's a big club, and you're not in it." Independent journalist Marisa Kabas quoted poet T.S. Eliot, posting: "This is the way the world ends." Onion contributor Maura Quint simply characterized the photo as "a quick summary of my thoughts on Obama's presidency." Others were more blunt in sharing their disgust.

"Just burn it all down," Gizmodo reporter Matt Novak posted.

Some journalists proposed that the photo illustrated why Democrats' rhetoric throughout the 2024 campaign cycle of Trump being an existential threat to democracy failed to land with voters. Jezebel staff writer Kylie Cheung opined that Democrats lack credibility among voters "because they run on 'fascism lite'" followed by them "immediately hitting the '*10 minutes later* me and the bestie :D' meme." Detroit Public Radio reporter Russ McNamara sarcastically skeeted (the term for Bluesky posts): "We'll never figure out why Democrats lost in 2024."

"[H]ave democrats considered that maybe one reason people didn't believe them when they said trump was super-scary is because they appear not to believe it at all themselves," wondered The Nation senior editor Jack Mirkinson.

"This is so embarrassing, for both of them actually," lawyer Chris Jackson wrote. "You don’t believe what you’ve said about someone being an existential threat if you can yuk it up with them afterwards."

Others appeared to give grace to Obama, with SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah saying the photo reminded him of "the guy stuck in airplane seat next to a guy who won't shut up." MSNBC columnist James Downie suggested that the former two-term Democratic president was simply doing his best to be civil and polite at a funeral.

"For what it's worth from watching this conversation live, it felt less like 'yukking it up' and more like every time a MAGA relative *really* wants to talk to me about MSNBC, and I just want to watch the football game," Downie wrote.

Others, like science fiction author Carl Wilhoyte, remarked that the display of camaraderie between two rivals was akin to the "kayfabe" of professional wrestling, in which wrestlers abandon their personas behind closed doors and are close friends when the cameras are off. Xavier University associate professor Andrew Zolides suggested the friendliness between the two wealthy heads of state was "class warfare, stupid." Codeword editor Scott Russell simply responded to the photo with an image of comedian Hannibal Burress laughing and then saying: "This sucks, man."

The funeral marked a rare occasion in which all five remaining living presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden) were all in the same room. Vice presidents Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris were also in attendance. Former Vice President Dick Cheney was not present.

Watch the video of Obama and Trump's interaction below, or by clicking this link.

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