George W. Bush was embraced by first lady Michelle Obama during the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. on Saturday, and it led to whirlwind of Internet memes.
White House photographer David Hume Kennerly took the photo of Obama putting her arms around Bush during the ceremony, The Huffington Post reported.
"Maybe it was the moment: tenderness at a time when presidential politics has become a festival of cruelty," New York Times writer Mark Landler wrote. "But when Michelle Obama hugged former President George W. Bush … the image quickly took flight online.
"However one chose to interpret it — and over-interpretation is a hazard in such exercises — it became an instant metaphor. Some saw the lost virtue of civility in politics; others, the unlikely friendships that blossom at the rarefied heights of public life. To critics on the left, it was a shameful case of political amnesia by the wife of a president who spent years cleaning up the mess left by his predecessor," Landler added.
The hug photo brought a smile to the face of some on social media.
Others were critical or indifferent about the photo.
Many on Reddit saw a great deal of humor in the photo, posting their own memes, courtesy of photo editing.