Former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump shared what seemed to be a warm conversation on Thursday ahead of Jimmy Carter’s funeral. The video of the exchange quickly went viral, leaving thousands speculating about what was said. According to a professional lip reader who spoke with The New York Post, their smiles and laughter masked a conversation of more serious substance.
NEW: Trump told Obama he had to find a quiet place to speak with him regarding an urgent “matter of importance,” according to the New York Post.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 9, 2025
The revelation was made by forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman.
Trump: “I’ve pulled out of that. It’s the conditions. Can you imagine… pic.twitter.com/BxSrm8XLBH
Jeremy Freeman, the London-based forensic lip reader who analyzed the exchange, was born deaf and has served as a certified expert witness for 16 years, assisting litigants, police, and journalists through University College London.
Despite the lighthearted appearance of their exchange, Freeman revealed that Trump quietly told Obama they would need to “find a quiet place” later to discuss a “matter of importance.” Trump, seated shoulder to shoulder with Obama in the pews, appeared wary of the cameras capturing their interaction.
It’s unclear what precisely that conversation would entail, but Obama and Trump appeared to be discussing international agreements, according to Freeman’s translation.
At one point, Trump leaned toward Obama and said, “I’ve pulled out of that. It’s the conditions. Can you imagine that?”
Obama laughed as Trump added, “and after, I will,” before the pooled TV camera feed cut away from the men, who were bracketed by former first lady Laura Bush and Trump’s wife Melania.
“Call me at the foy after, yep,” Trump replied to Obama during their exchange, possibly referring to the National Cathedral’s foyer.
Obama then said, “can you just … it should be good.”
“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,” Trump said, as Obama nodded.
This is surprising. During Trump’s first term, he famously withdrew from two of Obama’s signature achievements — the nuclear deal with Iran and the Paris Climate Agreement. Both were terrible treaties that Obama had no constitutional authority to enter into without Senate ratification. It is, however, unclear if those agreements were the focus of their discussion.
Related: Yikes: The Tense and Awkward Moments at Jimmy Carter's Funeral
The article also noted the long-standing tension between Trump and Obama. In 2016, Obama infamously ordered federal agencies to spy on his 2016 campaign based on bogus accusations of colluding with Russia. Before Biden’s failed presidency, Trump referred to Obama as the worst president in history.
Obama, for his part, has delivered his own barbs. At the Democratic National Convention in August, he appeared to make a lewd joke about Trump’s manhood, mocking his “weird obsession with crowd sizes” while holding his hands just four inches apart. In October, Obama took another jab, comparing Trump’s lengthy speeches to Fidel Castro’s infamous marathon addresses, saying they were “just on and on,” and ridiculing Trump’s “constant attempts to sell you stuff” from golden sneakers to Trump Bibles.
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