Former President Barack Obama got the royal treatment in Norway earlier this month — literally — and it’s got the internet buzzing. From viral posts on Instagram to speculation threads on Reddit and even YouTube videos, the story took off like wildfire: King Harald V of Norway met warmly with Obama, while Donald Trump, who reportedly wanted that same royal moment, didn’t get it. Cue the drama.
A now-viral Instagram post summed it up like this: “Ironic, isn’t it? Trump reportedly wanted to meet King Harald after his Oval Office meeting — but Norway rolled out the red carpet for Obama instead.” The post painted a vivid picture of Obama’s time in Oslo, describing an intimate gathering at the royal family’s Bygdø estate, where he spent time with King Harald, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
Trump asked if King Harald of Norway could invite him to an audience. The King invited Obama instead
byu/Cerenity1000 inpics
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It didn’t stop there. The post also suggested that while Trump’s hoped-for handshake with the King was quietly shelved, Obama didn’t even have to ask for his invitation — he just got it.
Here’s what happened. Obama was in Norway to deliver a speech at the Oslo Spektrum arena on May 12. This wasn’t some last-minute photo-op to upstage Trump. The next day, May 13, he met with King Harald, Prime Minister Støre, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit at Bygdø Kongsgård. The Norwegian Royal House even posted photos on Instagram showing a relaxed and smiling Obama in conversation with the royals.
Meanwhile, former President Trump had just wrapped up a meeting in the Oval Office with Prime Minister Støre, and he did, in fact, express interest in meeting King Harald. When asked about it, Trump had only positive things to say.
“Because I like them,” Trump told a journalist. “And I like your prime minister. And I like the way your government runs. And I respect the king. He’s highly respected in Norway. It’s a great thing. Not an easy thing to do. He’s done a great job. Yeah.”
When the journalist asked if he wanted an invitation to meet the King, Trump didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. You get me that invitation,” he said. Støre responded, “I just told the president, he’s welcome to visit Norway.”
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So was Trump snubbed? Not really. He was invited to visit Norway, and he said he was open to it. But there’s no evidence that a formal meeting with King Harald was ever scheduled or requested. Snopes even looked into it and confirmed they had no record of a formal ask from Trump’s team.
As for timing, Trump wasn’t even in Europe when Obama met with the King. He was on an official tour of the Middle East from May 13 to 16.
At the end of the day, Obama got the photo op, the tea with royalty, and the Instagram post. Trump got a warm “you’re welcome anytime.” But that hasn’t stopped the internet from running with its version of the story.
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