Former President Barack Obama made waves with a comment to his predecessor, George W. Bush, during President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. The interaction, captured on video, caught the attention of viewers, with Obama’s words raising questions about his feelings toward Trump’s return to office.
The moment occurred at the Capitol Rotunda as Obama, Bush and other political figures gathered to attend the inauguration. According to forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman, Obama appeared to ask Bush, “How can we stop what’s happening?” while the two stood next to Laura Bush during applause for the incoming president, the Daily Mail reports.
The lip reading was further corroborated by Jackie Gonzalez, a popular interpreter on TikTok, who interpreted the moment as Obama greeting the Bushes with a “Good to see you” before making the remark, per Trending Politics. Freeman noted that Obama’s body language made it difficult to fully confirm the statement but the lip patterns and context suggested the interpretation was plausible.
As the two men conversed, Bush smiled and chuckled in response. However, it was the words “How can we stop what’s happening?” that grabbed attention, fueling speculation about Obama’s stance on Trump’s presidency.
While the interaction was brief, it sparked curiosity about what Obama may have been referring to, given the context of the moment.
Adding fuel to the fire, Obama had earlier displayed a more jovial mood when interacting with staff, including a remark that he would not behave when asked by a staffer.
“Nope,” Obama had responded, adding to his playful demeanor before the inauguration began. Later, when questioned by Emily Davies from the Washington Post, Obama remarked, “Just barely” when asked if he had behaved during the event.
In contrast, Trump was asked later in the evening about which former president he would seek advice from, to which he responded by praising former President Bill Clinton, calling him “a very interesting politician” and someone who had a “great political sense.” Trump also commented on his interactions with Obama during former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral, recalling that they had engaged in “some crazy conversations,” the Daily Mail noted.
While Obama’s interaction with Bush raised eyebrows, it wasn’t the only incident of political tensions on display. Many Trump supporters have expressed concern about the political establishment’s resistance to his administration.
Even George W. Bush, a Republican, has shown distaste for Trump, famously describing the 2017 inaugural address as “some weird sh*t.”
The comments caught by the lip reader quickly spread online, with theories about Obama’s intentions making the rounds. Some suggested Obama was commenting on the enthusiastic crowd at Trump’s inauguration, which some saw as a sign of Trump’s rising influence and power.
Others found the interaction to be a glimpse into the broader political tensions surrounding Trump’s presidency.
Though lip reading is often subject to interpretation and caution is advised when making conclusions, the video of the interaction generated significant interest, amassing over 70,000 likes and 2,000 reposts, according to the New York Post.
“If only they would have had a split screen on the former presidents the entire time,” one commenter joked, reflecting the online fascination with the moment.
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It’s no secret that W isn’t a fan of Trump, and I wouldn’t expect Obama to be one either. I lost all respect for W when he bad mouthed Trump in 2016 and voted for Hilary. Instead of just admitting he was friends with the Clintons, and using that as the reason he voted for the Wicked Witch of the East! None of the establishment can just admit that Trump was a good President his first term and deserves to be President again.
I wouldn’t trust any of those former presidents. They are all corrupt. That goes for the wives of the former presidents. They are pure filth. I do hope President Trump knows he shouldn’t even consider seeking their opinion on any matter during his term as our President. If anything, investigations are in order of these jerks.