Donald Trump and Mike Pence came face-to-face for the first time in nearly four years.
The president-elect and his former vice president were both in attendance at the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday, Jan. 9.
When Trump, 78, arrived, Pence, 65, stood up from the row behind and extended his hand for a handshake. The two exchanged a few words during the brief interaction.
In addition to Trump, all five living and former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden — were present, along with their spouses, with the exception of Michelle Obama.
“Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former President,” a spokesperson said.
The long-standing rift between Trump and Pence is connected to the Jan 6. Capitol riots over four years ago.
“January 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol,” Pence has said, according to CNN.
In June 2021, Pence said that he and Trump have “have spoken many times since [they] left office,” per a clip from the Today show.
To Trump’s dismay after Biden won the 2020 election, Pence informed both Trump and the public that he didn’t have the constitutional power — nor the intention — to intervene in the electoral process.
In response, Trump took to X (formerly Twitter) and accused Pence of lacking “the courage” to do as he was told and refuse to certify the electoral college votes. Then Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop the certification. Pence narrowly avoided the mob as some chanted about hanging him.
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Since the attack on the Capitol, both men have continued to speak out about each other.
“His reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day,” Pence said at the Gridiron Club Dinner in 2023, adding, “and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.” Later that year, Trump called Pence “delusional” and “not a very good person.”
A 165-page filing from the Justice Department, unsealed on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, reveals that Trump was sitting in the dining room next to the Oval Office, watching the riot unfold live on television while continuing to tweet. One of his former aides informed him that Pence had been moved to a secure location, hoping that he would “take action to ensure Pence’s safety.” The filing alleges that Trump’s only response was, “So what?”
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