Former President Barack Obama attended Jimmy Carter’s state funeral on Thursday without his wife, Michelle Obama, although a spokeswoman for the former first lady said she sent her condolences to the Carter family.

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.