Sports media personality Stephen A. Smith criticized former President Obama for chatting with President-elect Trump at former President Carter’s funeral, calling it “not a good look.”
“It wasn’t a good look, but it wasn’t a good look because of Trump,” Smith said on Monday’s episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” He pointed to the harsh criticism of Trump during the campaign.
“’Fascist, threat to democracy,’” he said, recalling terms used to describe Trump. “You know, people bringing up Nazis and all of this stuff when they talked about Trump.”
At Carter’s funeral, cameras captured Obama and Trump exchanging pleasantries. Obama laughed at something Trump said, and the two continued their conversation intermittently for a few minutes.
The moment stood out given their contentious history. Trump had falsely claimed Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. and accused him of spying on his 2016 campaign. Obama, in turn, had campaigned against Trump, describing him as a bully and a danger to democracy.
Still, Smith downplayed the significance of the interaction. “I think class and decorum is the order of the day, especially at a funeral,” he said. “That’s not the time for vitriol or insults.”
Obama’s decision to engage contrasted with others. While the former president plans to attend Trump’s inauguration, Michelle Obama and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have announced they will not.
Neither Michelle Obama nor Pelosi publicly explained their decision to skip the event.