Barack Obama made a surprise appearance at Downing Street for talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday while across the Atlantic the White House played down reports of a rivalry between President Joe Biden and his former boss.
The former US president waved and smiled as he made his way to the famous Gate No. 10 on Monday afternoon.
This comes after Axios reported that Biden and Obama don’t speak frequently, but behind closed doors, Biden talks about Obama a lot.
The report claims that Biden “often measures himself against the man he served as vice president, current and former aides say.”
There is a rivalry, especially on Biden’s side. But the White House rejected this information on Monday.
“The two presidents, President Obama and President Biden, have a very good relationship,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “You’ve all seen it over the past few years.”
She said the two “are like family to each other.”
Barack Obama made a surprise appearance at Downing Street for talks with Rishi Sunak today
It is unclear why Mr. Obama is in the United Kingdom, and his visit was not included in the government’s business schedule for the day.
Obama appearing with Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House in 2022
Obama has visited the White House several times since Biden took office in 2017.
The former president returned to the White House for the first time since leaving office in April 2022 to celebrate the Affordable Care Act with Biden.
He was also present later that year for the unveiling of official portraits of him and former First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.
Most recently, the two released an ad together for the ACA late last year.
Later this month, Obama will join Biden and former President Bill Clinton for a first-of-its-kind fundraiser in New York, as Biden makes his bid for a second term.
Obama has often publicly praised Biden and once appeared in a Biden re-election campaign ad.
He is expected to be a top surrogate for his former vice president as Biden runs for re-election in a likely rematch against former President Trump.
Obama and Biden together at the White House in September 2022 for the unveiling ceremony of Obama’s official White House portraits
Obama and Biden at the White House in April 2022 for an event marking the passage of the Affordable Care Act
Obama’s visit to Downing Street, which lasted about an hour as the two men chatted in the prime minister’s office, was described as a “courtesy call” since Mr Obama was in London.
It was the first time the two leaders had met, and the two men reportedly discussed various topics, including artificial intelligenceOne by one in Margaret Thatcher’s former office over a cup of tea.
Number 10 said little about the content of their conversation, but the pair have two daughters and a shared agenda to promote education and opportunities for girls.
The former US president waved and smiled as he made his way to the famous Gate No. 10 this afternoon.
The program is a central mission of Mr Obama’s foundation and, at a business event in Warwickshire, the Prime Minister said earlier: “I want my daughters to grow up in an economy and a society where there is no There are no limits to their aspirations.”
When leaving the meeting hWe smiled and replied “I’m tempted” when reporters asked his opinion on the state of Russian democracy before climbing into a Range Rover with the US Ambassador to the UK, Jane D Hartley, just after 16 hours.
Mr Obama then held private talks with Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer.
One of Mr Obama’s highest-profile previous trips was in 2016, when he famously stood alongside David Cameron and warned that Britain would be “at the back of the queue” for a trade deal after his exit of the EU.
This intervention in the middle of the referendum battle sparked fury from Brexit supporters, although they also saw it as useful to their anti-establishment campaign.
The UK has not signed a trade deal with the US, although there was a strong push for one when Donald Trump was president.
Mr. Obama was in the White House from 2009 to 2017, with Biden as vice president.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “He was making an informal courtesy call as part of his trip to London, where he is leading the work of the Obama Foundation.”
The spokesperson added: “I think President Obama’s team has made contact and, obviously, the Prime Minister was very happy to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation.”
An Obama spokesperson declined to reveal the purpose of the visit, instead referring DailyMail.com to the 10 Downing statement.