Former President Barack Obama took time during President Donald Trump‘s inauguration to continue his joking with former President George W. Bush, which drew attention during a state funeral earlier this month.
The pair had a friendly run-in at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral when Bush gave Obama a stomach slap on the way to his seat.
Obama interjected Monday when a staffer asked Bush, “Are you going to behave?” Obama came up from behind Bush and jokingly said, “Nope,” while shaking his head. He made the remarks while the two former presidents were on their way to the Capitol Rotunda.
Bush attended the presidential inauguration with his wife, former first lady Laura Bush. Former first lady Michelle Obama declined to attend with her husband. Former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton also attended the inauguration.
George W. Bush has stayed in the public eye since leaving office in 2009 with his comedic and friendly gestures, though he’s refrained from weighing in on most political fights.
While at his father’s funeral in 2018, he caught the public spotlight for passing candy to Michelle Obama. He did the same for Barack Obama at former Sen. John McCain’s funeral earlier that year.
Michelle Obama suggested that she and George W. Bush would be forever linked as seatmates for public appearances.
“President Bush and I, we are forever seatmates because of protocol, and that’s how we sit at all the official functions,” Michelle Obama said. “He’s my partner in crime at every major thing where all the ‘formers’ gather. So we’re together all the time.”
Michelle Obama declined to attend Trump’s second inauguration despite attending his first one in 2017.
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Former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton have had a more strained relationship with Trump. George W. Bush declined to endorse him despite being the only other living Republican former president.
None of the three attended Trump’s inaugural lunch, which is traditionally attended by former presidents.