New Delhi:
Former Vice President Mike Pence opened up about his first interaction with Donald Trump since the two left the White House in 2021. The meeting occurred at former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral in the National Cathedral, Washington, DC, on Thursday.
“He greeted me when he came down the aisle. I stood up, and extended my hand. He shook my hand. I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike,’” Pence, 65, shared with Christianity Today.
As former presidents, first ladies, and vice presidents gathered at the National Cathedral on Thursday for Jimmy Carter’s funeral, Pence remarked, “Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that God put me on one of these rows.” The media highlighted his handshake with the Trumps and noted Karen Pence’s apparent refusal to acknowledge them.
“I’ve really been blessed at how much I’ve heard from people around the country who saw [our] handshake, and in that handshake, saw some hope that we might be moving past those difficult days. That’s certainly my hope,” he said.
“The opportunity to speak to the president is something that I appreciated, I welcomed,” he said.
Pence’s relationship with Trump became frosty after the former president publicly criticised Pence for certifying the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021. That day, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.”
Reflecting on their past, Pence recalled one of their final conversations in office. “I said, ‘You know, there’s probably two things that we’re never going to agree on. We’re probably never going to agree on what my duty was under the Constitution on January 6. And I’m never going to stop praying for you,’” Pence said. Trump responded, “That’s right. Mike, don’t ever change.”
During the podcast, Pence also addressed speculation about his wife, Karen Pence, who was allegedly seen giving the cold shoulder to Donald and Melania Trump during the funeral service.
“You’d have to ask my wife about her posture, but we’ve been married 44 years, and she loves her husband, and her husband respects her deeply,” Pence said.
Mike Pence entered the presidential race in 2023 but dropped out by year’s end. When he declined to endorse Trump, the former president dismissed it, saying he “couldn’t care less” and adding, “We need strong people in this country, we don’t need weak people.”
