Former US President Barack Obama on Monday (Mar 18) paid a ‘courtesy visit’ to 10 Downing Street, the UK Prime Minister’s official residence. As per reports, it was an ‘undisclosed private’ meeting, where the duo discussed artificial intelligence. Later, a spokesperson for the PM Sunak said Obama “is conducting work of the Obama Foundation.”
The spokesman added: “I think President Obama’s team made contact and obviously the Prime Minister was very happy to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation.” The Barack Obama Foundation is a nonprofit organisation ‘focused on social mobility’ and was founded by the former president in 2014.
Obama was seen entering Number 10 as he waved at the reporters outside, and left after about an hour later.
MAGA theories
Following the meeting, Make America Great Again or MAGA supporters, believed to be loyalists of former president Donald Trump, have made speculations regarding why Obama was meeting foreign leaders.
Watch: Joe Biden’s age a long-standing concern among voters
Laura Loomer, a popular Trump supporter and conservative journalist, took to X and asked, “Why is Obama having private meetings with world leaders?”
Another user, TheThe1776, claimed the meeting made clear that the current Biden administration was in fact Obama’s ‘third term.’ “Obama meeting officials in a Private meeting should tell everyone that this is Obama’s third term and Biden is his puppet/scapegoat,” the post said.
Michelle Obama
Obama’s private meeting with the UK PM comes amid speculations that his wife Michelle Obama may run for president in the wake of heightened concerns about Joe Biden’s age.
But the former first lady has so far refrained from announcing it formally. Her office in fact denied the speculations lately.
Obama’s last trip to UK
Obama occupied the White House from 2009 to 2017 before he was succeeded by Republican Donald Trump. His last visit to Number 10 came in April 2016, when David Cameron was the UK’s PM. Obama had then warned the UK government against abandoning the European Union ahead of BREXIT calls, saying the move could force Washington DC to put trade deal negotiations on hold.
(With inputs from agencies)
