GOP senator says Obama aimed to 'kiss the ring' of Trump at Carter funeral

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) characterized former President Obama’s interaction with President-elect Trump at the National Cathedral Thursday as an effort to “kiss the ring” of the incoming commander in chief.

“I mean it’s about a redemption story, right? I mean, the greatest political comeback of all times,” Mullin said of the Republican on an appearance of “The Benny Show.”

“What you see right there is Barack Obama realizing it and realize that he kind of probably should kiss the ring, because President Trump is the most popular man in the world and probably the most popular man in our lifetime around the world, and everybody recognizes that now,” he told host Benny Johnson.

The world watched in surprise as the two exchanged pleasantries while attending the funeral of former President Carter.

It was a stark contrast to the contentious relationship the two former presidents had during the 2024 election cycle. While campaigning for Vice President Harris — who was also at the cathedral Thursday — Obama painted a stark picture of Trump as a villain who shouldn’t gain a second term in office. 

During one stop in Pennsylvania, he compared Trump to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

“You have leaders who are going to try to help and then you have a guy who will just lie about it to score political points and this has consequences,” Obama told the audience during an October event in the swing state.

“The idea of intentionally trying to deceive people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments, and my question is when did that become OK?” he added.

Trump also criticized his White House predecessor while on the campaign trail, calling him a "jerk" and accusing him of being a "divider." Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, were both targets of the president-elect following their remarks at the Democratic National Convention.

Despite the back-and-forth, the two were caught smiling at each other ahead of the memorial service while sitting behind Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. At one time, the vice president turned and seemingly sighed at something the two men were laughing about.

Mullin said it’s a sign that Trump has regained respect in the political arena, making him well-positioned with inauguration day less than two weeks away.

“President Trump is sitting in a good spot, and he's very relaxed," the Oklahoma Republican noted. "I mean, I've seen a completely different side of him since November 6."

“He's very relaxed, very happy and is willing to just kind of put bygones behind them and move forward," he added.