In an age where politics and televised spectacle routinely collide, a striking exchange between former President Barack Obama and former President Donald J. Trump has captured national attention. What began as a familiar taunt from Mr. Trump ended in an unexpectedly direct rebuttal — one that has since dominated online conversation and raised questions about the long-standing narratives each man has cultivated about intelligence, merit, and transparency.

The encounter occurred during a live, televised forum on education staged before a packed audience in Philadelphia. The event, intended as a discussion on academic rigor and leadership, quickly veered into personal territory when Mr. Trump revived an attack he has frequently leveled at his predecessor: questioning Mr. Obama’s college grades and suggesting — without evidence — that his academic success was undeserved.

“I’d love to see his transcripts,” Mr. Trump said, leaning forward as he gestured at Mr. Obama. “I was a top student. I went to the Wharton School. I’m a very stable genius.” The comment drew a mixed reaction from the audience — part discomfort, part anticipation.

For years, Mr. Trump has boasted about his academic performance while refusing to release his own school records. His former lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, testified in 2019 that he was directed to threaten legal action against schools to prevent the public release of Mr. Trump’s grades.

Mr. Obama, who has typically avoided direct engagement with such personal criticisms, responded this time with an uncharacteristic level of precision. After Mr. Trump finished speaking, the former president paused briefly before addressing the audience.

“Donald has spent years questioning my credentials,” he began. “My birth certificate, my grades, my right to be here.” He reached into his suit jacket — and the auditorium fell silent.

What happened next unfolded in less than 20 seconds, but it quickly became the most widely shared moment of the night. Mr. Obama removed a single sheet of paper and identified it as a certified copy of Mr. Trump’s SAT score report from 1965. Without raising his voice, he read aloud the numbers printed on the page: verbal reasoning in the 48th percentile, mathematical aptitude in the 34th, for a combined score of 970 out of 1,600.

Gasps swept through the crowd, followed by a burst of applause. On stage, Mr. Trump appeared visibly stunned. He attempted to interject, calling the document “fake,” but the audience drowned him out.

The authenticity of the document has not been independently verified, and representatives for Mr. Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But the symbolic power of the moment — one president presenting the academic record of another who has long touted his own intellectual superiority — resonated widely.

Mr. Obama followed the reading with a measured explanation, arguing that academic performance is only one measure of capability but that honesty about one’s accomplishments matters in public life. He went on to suggest that Mr. Trump’s admission to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School involved influence from his father, Fred Trump, citing long-circulated reports of a significant donation around the time of the younger Mr. Trump’s acceptance.

For many viewers, the exchange underscored the contrast in presentation styles between the two men. Mr. Trump’s persona has long relied on superlatives — “the smartest,” “the best,” “a very stable genius” — while Mr. Obama’s response was grounded in a restrained, almost clinical tone, delivering a blow not through rhetoric but through documentation.

Political analysts say the moment succeeded not merely because it embarrassed Mr. Trump but because it challenged a narrative he has spent decades constructing. “Trump has invested deeply in the idea that he is exceptionally intelligent,” said Amy Reynolds, a professor of political communication. “Obama exposed how fragile that claim is, and he did it with a form of evidence Trump has avoided for years.”

Others noted that the exchange fits within a broader pattern of political confrontation reshaped by televised immediacy. In past eras, disputes over personal credentials might have unfolded through press conferences or written statements. Now, such conflicts play out in real time before live audiences, blending performance, policy, and personal history.

Whether the moment will hold political significance remains to be seen. Supporters of Mr. Trump dismissed the incident on social media as theatrical, while critics hailed it as overdue accountability. What is clear is that the exchange struck a nerve — not merely because of what was said, but because of who said it, and how.

In the hours that followed, clips of Mr. Obama reading the score circulated widely, amassing millions of views. The audience’s roar — a mix of shock, amusement, and catharsis — echoed across platforms.

For a brief moment, a single sheet of paper interrupted a myth years in the making. And in the theater of American politics, sometimes that is enough to shift the conversation — even if only for one night.