LEMON: “The pair’s exchange, short though it was, confused and enraged folks on social media. People had many, many questions. How could Barack Obama, the man who faced vicious, racist conspiracies for years because of Trump act so buddy-buddy with him? Does he not remember birtherism? Does he not remember how, for years, Trump lied about how he was secretly born in Africa? Does he not remember how Trump suggested that he was secretly a Muslim who was sympathetic to terrorist groups and terrorist causes? Perhaps more critically, does he not remember how his entire political party has been calling the man a fascist, an autocrat, a threat to democracy for months, if not years? People could not believe what they were seeing. Had the Democratic Party lied to them? Had Kamala Harris and Joe Biden lied to them? Is this all just a game? I mean, I can understand feeling that way. Now, look, in reality, Barack Obama was just doing his duty. The former president had died and he inevitably was going to have to brush shoulders with Trump there in the same presidential club, right? What was the alternative? Not to watch Jimmy Carter be laid to rest? Now, I think he had no choice, but laughing at Trump’s jokes on camera? It was risky, kind of cringy. Optics like this are things that Democrats have to consider going forward. They spent years, if not months, if not years labeling Trump a political aberration, someone cruel, if not evil, outside the norm. Their voters may feel lied to if they appear to embrace him now. You can’t just memory-hole comparing someone to Hitler. So, Democrats, you’ve got to keep in mind, ahead of Trump’s inauguration and frankly, for the next four years, like what that looks like, your behavior around the man will matter. It does matter. You can’t allow Karen Pence to present as a more steadfast defender of democracy, a more courageous critic of Trump, than yourselves. Democrats, your outdated impulse to prioritize good relationships with your conservative colleagues at all costs. It’s got to end.”