'Kiss the ring': GOP senator lays it on thick after seeing Trump and Obama 'yukking it up'

A Republican senator laid on the flattery thick after seeing a photo of Donald Trump and Barack Obama talking at Jimmy Carter's funeral.

The pair of former presidents were seated next to one another in the second row of the late president's service, and many observers noticed them speaking frequently and cordially, despite Trump's insistence for years that Obama was not born in the U.S., and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson that demonstrated Trump's growing power.

"Talk about a redemption story, right?" Mullin said said. "I mean, the greatest political comeback of all times, and what you see right there is Barack Obama realizing it, and realize that he probably should kind of kiss the ring because president Trump is the most popular man in the world, and probably the most popular man in our lifetime around the world, and everybody recognizes that now, and president Trump is sitting in a good spot and he's very relaxed."

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"I mean, I've seen a completely different side of him since Nov. 6," the senator added, "that he's very relaxed, very happy and is willing to just kind of put bygones behind him and move forward."

Johnson, who was previously fired by Buzzfeed for serial plagiarism and was one of the conservative media personalities unwittingly caught up in a Russian propaganda scheme, was pleased with Mullin's update on Trump's mood.

"That's wonderful to see and hear," Johnson said, "and I know you're very close with the president."

But many others had a read of the situation that was bit less flattering to the president-elect.

Interesting to see Trump so chummy with Obama at the state funeral," posted Olga Lautman, of the Center for European Policy Analysis. "He hasn’t stopped talking to him."

"Watching Trump talk to Obama at Carter funeral," said SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah. "Obama looked the guy stuck in airplane seat next to a guy who won't shut up."

"Watching the beginning of Carter's funeral, and obvi I want some lip readers to tell us whatever Trump and Obama were saying to each other," said Jack Jenkins, national reporter for Religion News Service. "Also, apparently basically everyone wants to talk to Obama in particular."

"Kind of hard to say which side is more disgusted by Trump yukking it up with Obama, but I'll give the edge to the racists," added TV producer Robert Schooley.