Donald Trump ‘more highly engaged’ with Obama than Melania at Carter funeral
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President-elect Donald Trump seemed ‘more highly engaged’ with ex-President Barack Obama whom he’s sparred with, than his wife Melania at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, body language experts say. During Carter’s state funeral which brought together all five living US presidents, Trump spent several minutes speaking and laughing with Obama while seated next to him in the second row at Washington National Cathedral.
![[Former US President Barack Obama speaks with President-elect Donald Trump before the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235459895-fccc.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
It was surprising given how much the two have criticized each other in the past. Trump and Obama had ‘more highly engaged interaction and friendlier than what we saw with Melania and (Donald) Trump,’ body language expert Chris Ulrich told Metro. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.
![[Former President Barack Obama talks with President-elect Donald Trump, next to Melania Trump, as they arrive to attend the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235459461-bb22.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Up Next. As the two former presidents on Thursday exchanged banter for what seemed to be a good three minutes, Melania sat at the far end of the row solemnly reading a prayer book and keeping to herself. Ulrich, founder of CU in the Moment, said that when Trump and Melania ‘do finally talk in he end, it does have some of that friendliness in it’ and that it is noticeable given the couple’s ‘normal kind of presence around each other is respectfully cordial… not heartfelt or close’.
![[Former U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.S. President George W. Bush and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump react on the day of the State Funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, U.S., January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235459433-7e92.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
