How Trump & Obama's Mother's Day Tweets Have Differed Over The Years

By now, more than two years into Donald Trump's presidency, there's an entire mountain of articles stored on the internet dedicated to analyzing the many, many ways Trump differs from his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Which means it's not likely a surprise to learn that, over the years Trump and Obama's Mother's Day tweets have differed. While one appears to prefer keeping things simple and to the point, the other opts for sharing sentimental messages and sweet family photos.

Like many people who have enthusiastically embraced social media, Trump and Obama both turned to Twitter on Sunday to celebrate mothers. But while both men opted to make public Mother's Day wishes, the content of their Mother's Day greetings couldn't have been more different. While Trump extended a simple Mother's Day greeting to all, Obama tweeted directly to his wife, singling out the many things he loves about her and her mothering style.

While President Trump has used Twitter to wish Melania, his wife and the mother of his youngest son, a Happy Mother's Day before, he appeared to opt for a more blanket greeting on social media this year. Trump marked this Mother's Day by tweeting a photograph of flowers at the White House that had been edited to include the words "Happy Mother's Day from President Donald J. Trump."

Elsewhere in the Twittersphere on Sunday, Obama celebrated Mother's Day with a photograph of his wife Michelle pulling their two daughters in for a hug on the Great Wall of China. "Happy Mother's Day to the most caring, brilliant, funny, and grounded woman I know," Obama wrote of Michelle. "A perfect role model not just for our daughters, but so many others. Love you, @MichelleObama."

Of course, this isn't the first year that Trump and Obama have marked Mother's Day with significantly different social media posts. Last year, Trump's Mother's Day message came in the form of a presidential address in which he discussed how mothers have contributed to American history through the years. Trump also shared a bit about his own mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. "She was just incredible — warm, loving, really smart, could be tough if she had to be but basically she was a really nice person," he said. "So much of what I've done and so much of what I've become is because of my mother. I miss her a lot." But while Trump talked about his own mother, his Mother's Day message didn't mention Melania or his daughter Ivanka, who is a mother to three children.

That same year, Obama wished "every mom out there" a happy Mother's Day in a tweet that singled out "the remarkable moms in my life, @MichelleObama and my mother-in-law, Marian Robinson. In his tweet he shared a photograph of himself, Michelle, Robinson, and his daughters.

While Trump hasn't mentioned Melania in any of his most recent Mother's Day tweets, he did use Twitter to wish Melania a happy Mother's Day in 2017. "Wishing @FLOTUS Melania and all of the great mothers out there a wonderful day ahead with family and friends!" he tweeted. "Happy #MothersDay."

Obama, meanwhile, shouted out Michelle as his "love and partner on this journey" while wishing her and "all the wonderful, hardworking mothers out there" a happy Mother's Day in 2017.

Of course, what happens on Twitter pales in comparison to what happens in real life — and it's impossible for us to really know how either Trump or Obama have celebrated Mother's Day where it matters most: in their day-to-day lives.