# If Carter (or Clinton or Obama) dies while Trump is president... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429 "2018-12-02T01:37:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/1 "2018-12-02T01:37:58Z")
…how will he respond? He went into a massive sulk when McCain died. I can’t imagine the death of a former Republican president dominating the news sits well with him. What will he do if it’s a Democrat? ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/2 "2018-12-02T02:14:02Z")
I’m positive if Obama dies within Trump’s adminstration there’s going to be a massive conspiracy Trump secretly had him killed no matter how he died. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/3 "2018-12-02T02:39:10Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I’m positive if Obama dies within Trump’s adminstration there’s going to be a massive conspiracy Trump secretly had him killed no matter how he died. The question was about how Trump would respond. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/4 "2018-12-02T02:56:17Z")
Sneering if it’s Carter, since Carter has “wasted” his time with charitable works. Indifference if it’s Bill Clinton, open gloating if it’s Hillary Clinton or Obama. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/5 "2018-12-02T03:17:32Z")
I say similar-to-McCain-ish. Especially if it’s either Carter or Obama, who either would be used to needle him mercilessly about his own low character. I suspect at least one of the three people in question, or at least his survivors, may be of the preference that he not even be seen near the proceedings and rather forego the DC State Funeral if he can’t be kept away. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/6 "2018-12-02T16:11:44Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > I say similar-to-McCain-ish. Especially if it’s either Carter or Obama, who either would be used to needle him mercilessly about his own low character. > > I suspect at least one of the three people in question, or at least his survivors, may be of the preference that he not even be seen near the proceedings and rather forego the DC State Funeral if he can’t be kept away. With Clinton it’s complicated–Bill and Trump were friendly, maybe still are despite the attacks on Hillary. You notice Trump never attacks Bill…and so far as I know Bill has never attacked him. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/7 "2018-12-02T19:39:24Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > With Clinton it’s complicated–Bill and Trump were friendly, maybe still are despite the attacks on Hillary. You notice Trump never attacks Bill…and so far as I know Bill has never attacked him. I don’t think they’re friends. I doubt they ever liked each other personally. But they used to be supporters of each other. As for the lack of attacks, I’ve heard that each is holding enough dirt on the other that neither one wants to start a fight for fear of the retaliation. It’ll be interesting to see if this MAD agreement holds if one of them dies. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/8 "2018-12-02T19:44:01Z")
My guess is that Trump would try to make it about him. (I know. I’m really going out on a limb here.) Trump would probably say something to the effect that he’s magnanimously forgiving this past President for all of the things he did wrong and will only remember him for trying to do good, even though he failed. And Trump will be shocked when people condemn him what he’ll regard as a sincere attempt to say something nice. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-carter-or-clinton-or-obama-dies-while-trump-is-president/825429/9 "2018-12-03T15:54:54Z")
I expect there to be no difference. The Bush family has been a committed adversary to Trump, yet Trump has refrained from taking any shots (thus far, anyway).