President Donald Trump was apparently all buddy-buddy with President Barack Obama at the late Jimmy Carter’s funeral, even imploring his erstwhile nemesis to play golf with him.
The High Lord of MAGA apparently tried to woo his Democratic predecessor by “enticing him with descriptions of Trump’s courses around the world,” according to an advance copy of a new book obtained by Axios.
Penned by political journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arndorf, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, also reveals fresh details of the Republican’s call with former Vice President Kamala Harris following his electoral victory last November.
“Phone service isn’t what it used to be,” Trump apparently joked as their aides struggled to merge their calls, later saying to his rival: “You’re a tough cookie.”
Obama would not appear to have taken the president up on his offer. In fact, whatever civility the pair seemed to share during Carter’s funeral seems to have evaporated in the weeks and months since.
Sharing his thoughts on Trump’s second presidency at a New York rally appearance earlier this year, Obama said, “It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behaviour like that from me, or a whole bunch of my predecessors.”
“We do not need four years of a wannabe king, a wannabe dictator running around trying to punish his enemies,” he added. “That’s not what you need in your life. America is ready to turn the page.”
Trump later shot back by viciously tearing down a portrait of the former Democratic leader at the White House; popping off in a wild on-air rant about Obama’s library; and sharing memes suggesting his culpability in crimes envisioned by the bizarre QAnon conspiracy theory.
It seems the gloves, and golf shoes, are likely to remain well and truly off for the foreseeable future, with Obama responding by mocking Trump over the size of his crowds in June and trolling him on the Fourth of July for having made America’s birthday all about himself.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment on this story.
