Obama's Private Meeting Sparks MAGA Theory

Former President Barack Obama's surprise meeting in London with UK Prime minister Rishi Sunak on Monday has sparked theories from Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters.

Last week, as the November presidential election draws closer, a President Joe Biden and Trump rematch was confirmed after the two politicians both passed the nomination threshold, having won multiple presidential primaries.

Since then, interest has turned to which candidate will win the general election, with pollsters making various predictions regarding the outcome of November's ballot.

Meanwhile, Obama, who served in the White House between 2009 and 2017, waved at reporters outside Downing Street on Monday before he entered the prime minister's residence for a previously undisclosed private meeting. Obama left the meeting around an hour later.

Barack Obama
Former United States President Barack Obama leaves 10 Downing Street after meeting UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on March 18, 2024, in London, England. The meeting sparked theories from Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again... Carl Court/Getty Images

Although it is not clear what the meeting was about or the specifics surrounding it, a Downing Street spokesperson said the visit was an "informal courtesy drop in" as part of Obama's visit to London, according to the Independent.

"President Obama's team made contact and obviously the prime minister was very happy to to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

Newsweek has reached out to a spokesperson for Obama via email for comment

The Barack Obama Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on social mobility and was founded by the former president in 2014.

However, since Obama's visit some MAGA supporters have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to share their theories for why the former president was meeting Sunak.

Conservative commentator Laura Loomer noted the meeting and asked on X, "Why is Obama having private meetings with world leaders?"

X user TheThe1776 claimed that the meeting signals a third term for Obama, "Obama meeting officials in a Private meeting should tell everyone that this is Obama's third term and Biden is his puppet/scapegoat."

Graham Allen, an X user also noted that the meeting signaled a "third" term for Obama, "More proof we are in Obama's 3rd Term!!! He just arrived at 10 Downing Street for a private meeting."

While political commentator and X user GuntherEagleman wrote, "He no longer trusts Joe Biden... He is handling it himself."

This is not the first time Obama visited Downing Street as he previously met with with then prime minister David Cameron eight years ago in 2016.

The recent meeting with Sunak comes after former first lady Michelle Obama has fought off continued speculation that she is running for president amid concerns about Biden's age and competency have led to speculation that others might take on the mantle, despite their denials.

However, Michelle Obama has not announced that she is running for president as her office recently denied speculation that she might.

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About the writer


Natalie Venegas is a Weekend Reporter at Newsweek based in New York. Her focus is reporting on education, social justice ... Read more

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