Trump very much odd man out in the US presidents’ club
The Washington funeral service for former president George HW Bush served as a rare reunion of the remaining members of the presidents club – but the front-row conversation among Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and their spouses came to an end when president Donald Trump and wife Melania arrived.
The encounter was a realtime illustration of the uneasy ties between the current occupant of the White House and his predecessors, suggesting Mr Trump as a memberin-name-only of the Oval Office fraternity. While the funeral ceremony itself was a warm celebration of the late president, the relationships between the surviving presidents are considerably cooler.
Mr Trump shook hands with the Obamas before taking his seat in Washington’s National Cathedral without greeting the others. Hillary Clinton nodded at Melania Trump but then stared straight ahead.
The last of the five presidents to arrive was George W Bush, who made a point to shake hands with all four couples – and appeared to share a moment of humour with Michelle Obama, slipping something into her hand. Mr Bush then took his seat with the rest of the Bush family, across the aisle from the current and former presidents.
Some discomfort with Mr Trump was perhaps to be expected. Since his swearingin, he has spurned most contact with his predecessors – and they have snubbed him in return. But while the staid group of Oval Office former occupants has been disrupted since Mr Trump’s election, the Bushes had made it known to the White House months ago that, despite differences in policy and temperament, the late president wanted MR Trump to attend the national service.
The ceremony’s tributes at times stood as an unspoken counterpoint to Mr Trump’s leadership, as historian Jon Meacham eulogised Mr Bush by recounting his life’s credo: “Tell the truth, don’t blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course.”
By virtue of health, longevity and opportunities for continued influence, former presidents are sticking around longer than ever and staying active in the public eye.
Past presidents often built relationships with their predecessors, CNN’S presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said. “Bill Clinton would reach out to Richard Nixon for advice on Russia,” he said. “Harry Truman leaned heavily on Herbert Hoover. It’s endless.”
He added that ties varied from president to president and there have been chilly relationships as well, noting that “FDR would never talk to Herbert Hoover”.