President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that he and former President Barack Obama “probably like each other.”
He was speaking with a reporter when he was asked about a viral video of the two presidents chatting during President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday.
“I didn’t realize how friendly he seemed,” Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
“I said, ‘Wow, they seem like two people who like each other.’ And we probably will,” Trump said. “We have a little different philosophies, right? But we probably do. I don’t know. We just get along. But I got along with pretty much everyone.”
An Obama adviser did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening.
The bitter political rivals have frequently criticized each other in recent years, with Trump spreading the so-called birther conspiracy theory about Obama, falsely claiming that he was not born in the United States.
Trump has repeatedly attacked the Obamas, saying Obama was an “ineffective” and “terrible” president and calling former first lady Michelle Obama “nasty” in October.
The Obamas harshly criticized Trump during last year’s election campaign. The former president has referred to Trump as a “78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped complaining about his problems since he rode his golden escalator nine years ago.” The former first lady said during the campaign that “the consequences of him becoming president again are brutally serious.”
But not all exchanges have been controversial.
In August, Trump unusually praised his predecessor. He told CNN that he likes Obama, called him “a good gentleman” and said he respects the Obamas.
After Trump’s first victory in 2016, Obama welcomed Trump to the White House. Obama told reporters at the time that the two had an “excellent” and “extensive” conversation, and Trump told his predecessor, “It was a great honor to be with you.”
Jessie Rodriguez contributed.
