Obama's friendly exchange with Trump sent a signal that dominant sections of the state are prepared to accept as president a man who, just months earlier, they had correctly identified as a fascist and would-be dictator.

After Trump launched his bid for his first term in office in 2015, Obama, then-president, mocked his chances of ever assuming the nation’s office. The incident, which occurred on a late-night comedy show, went viral after Trump went on to win the presidency not once but twice.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden joined Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in the row in front of Obama and Trump. Harris did not interact with Trump when she walked in, prompting social media users to react to her glancing at the president-elect chatting with Obama.