George W. Bush‘s unlikely friendship with the Obamas was on display once again at the state funeral for Jimmy Carter, even in former first lady Michelle Obama‘s absence.
On Thursday, Jan. 9, all of the living U.S. presidents and all but one of the surviving first ladies gathered in Washington to pay their respects to Carter — and while it’s usually George’s playful interactions with Michelle that go viral at formal events, Thursday’s service spawned a different light-hearted moment between him and his successor, Barack Obama.
Related: Michelle Obama Skips Jimmy Carter’s Funeral and Is ‘Still in Hawaii’ for Extended Holiday: Report
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Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama shake hands after Jimmy Carter’s funeral service on Jan. 9, 2025
At the Washington National Cathedral, George and his wife, Laura Bush, went to take their seats in a row where Barack — whose wife was unable to attend — was already sitting beside Donald and Melania Trump. As George approached, Barack paused his conversation with Donald and stood up to allow his predecessor into the row.
When the Bushes entered the aisle, walking right past the Trumps, George gave Barack a friendly tap on the belly with his knuckles and kept on moving toward his seat. Video of the nonchalant greeting quickly circulated on the internet as new apparent evidence of the first families’ comfort around one another.
ZACH GIBSON/AFP via Getty First lady Michelle Obama hugs President George W. Bush at a 2016 museum opening in Washington
The Bushes and Obamas, once at odds with each other as successive first couples from opposing political parties, have been characterized as friends since leaving the White House.
George, 78, and Michelle, 60, in particular have had a couple of fondly remembered funeral moments dating back to Sen. John McCain‘s service at Washington National Cathedral in September 2018, when the former Republican president took a mint from his wife and handed it to Michelle during a eulogy.
After accepting the treat quietly, the Becoming author appeared to express her gratitude by mouthing the words “thank you” to the couple with a smile.
At the time, footage of the gesture began trending on social media, earning comments like “George W. Bush sneaking a piece of candy to Michelle Obama is warming my heart,” and “I’d like to think that moments like this between W. Bush and Michelle Obama are what McCain was hoping for.”
Fans of the pair were further delighted when they reprised their kinship with a similar exchange months later while George was mourning his own father, former President George H.W. Bush.
At the service, George was greeting fellow first couples in the front row when he removed a mint from his pocket, reached across Donald and Melania, and handed it to a smiling Michelle.
Related: Michelle Obama Calls George W. Bush a ‘Sweet Man’ Even as She Doesn’t ‘Agree with Him on Everything’
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George W. Bush hands Michelle Obama a candy at his father’s funeral in December 2018
Though Michelle and George made waves online with their 2018 candy exchanges, the world first witnessed their unlikely friendship when the pair shared a hug at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture back in 2016.
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Since then, Michelle has opened up about their relationship. In 2018, she said on Today that the former president “is my partner in crime at every major thing where all the formers gather.”
“So we’re together all the time, and I love him to death,” she said at the time, adding that George is a “wonderful” and “funny” man.
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