- Monday, February 24, 2025
Speculation was rife over the American leader’s meeting with Sunak that lasted for nearly an hour.
By: Shubham Ghosh
FORMER US president Barack Obama on Monday (18) made an informal courtesy visit to 10 Downing Street to meet prime minister Rishi Sunak. The duo had a meeting lasting almost an hour and soon after the visit by the American leader, netizens started speculating about it.
A spokesperson at the British premier’s official residence told news agency Press Trust of India that Obama made an “informal courtesy drop-in” as part of his visit to the UK capital where he is doing work of the Obama Foundation.
“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 spokesperson added.
Read: India risks ‘pulling apart’ if Muslim minority not respected, says Barack Obama as Modi visits US
While little was told about the content of the two leaders’ conversation, both have two daughters and share a vision of promoting education for girls and creating more opportunities for them.
The 62-year-old Obama, who served in the White House between 2009 and 2017, is the first black president of the US while Sunak is the first British Indian premier of the UK.
Read: Barack Obama spent childhood years listening to Ramayana and Mahabharata
The former president also met Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer later. One of Obama’s top-profile visits to the UK took place in 2016, his last year at the Oval Office, when he stood alongside then British prime minister David Cameron and cautioned that London would be ‘at the back of the queue’ for a trade deal after exiting the European Union.
The take amid the referendum battle that year angered the pro-Brexit leaders, although they also considered it helpful to their anti-establishment campaign.
The UK has not signed a trade deal with the US, even though there was a major push for one when Donald Trump was the president between 2017 and 2021.
However, speculation was rife on the agenda of the Democratic leader’s meeting with the prime minister. According to some, their talks included Russian president Vladimir Putin’s record fifth victory in the just concluded elections in his country. Some anticipated Obama and Sunak had discussions over the situation in Ukraine where Putin’s Russia has been conducting a military adventure for more than two years now.
But another section was speculating over the fact that Obama’s visit to London coincided with wild conspiracy theories that are doing rounds over Princess of Wales Kate Middleton on social media. She has not made any public appearances since her abdominal surgery in January and many people found it odd since she had posed outside the hospital hours after the birth of her children.
Obama shows up to Downing Street and a few hours later Kate is free pic.twitter.com/7Q99PXkW79
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) March 18, 2024
Some social media users joked that the former US president was in London to know Middleton’s whereabouts.
“Former President Obama has been dispatched to Downing Street in England to help lead the search for Kate Middleton,” one user posted on X.
Obama overseeing the operation that freed Kate Middleton: pic.twitter.com/QX7gKLkOuE
— Jesse (@KoalaSalesman) March 18, 2024
“From yesterday rumours are circulating about Prince Charles and Kate Middleton. Meanwhile, Obama meet with Rishi Sunak. News channels are standby for Royal Announcement. Things seems fishy,” wrote another.
“Only Obama can find Kate,” said another.
“Obama, announcing from London that they have located and eliminated Kate Middleton,” said another.
