Mike Pence has shared details of his first meeting with President-elect Donald Trump since the pair left office in 2021.
The former Vice President revealed a brief but telling interaction during former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on Thursday.
The 78-year-old former president exchanged pleasantries with Pence, 65, as he made his way to his seat.
Pence described the moment during an interview with Christianity Today, saying: “He greeted me when he came down the aisle. I stood up, extended my hand. He shook my hand.
“I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike.’”
Despite their strained relationship, particularly in the aftermath of the 2020 election, Pence said he appreciated the chance to speak with Trump.
The rift between the two stemmed from Pence’s role in certifying the election results on January 6, 2021 — a day marked by the Capitol riot, during which some Trump supporters chanted: “Hang Mike Pence.”
“The opportunity to speak to the president yesterday is something that I appreciated, I welcomed,” Pence told podcast host Russell Moore.
Reflecting on their handshake, he added: “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.”
Those “difficult days” were defined by intense discord, including one particularly chilly exchange during the waning days of Trump’s presidency. In his 2022 memoir, Pence recalled offering to pray for Trump during a conversation, only to be met with an icy, “Don’t bother.”
Pence wrote at the time that he had thanked Trump for the privilege of serving with him, adding that the two politicians would “just have to disagree on two things” – those being the January 6 riots and that Pence will never stop praying for Trump.
“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 wrote.
According to Pence, Trump responded with a smile, telling him: “That’s right. Mike, don’t ever change.”
The reunion at Carter’s funeral also drew attention for a seemingly frosty moment involving Pence’s wife, Karen Pence, who appeared to ignore Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump as they walked past her.
Addressing the speculation, Pence defended his wife, saying: “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.”
Trump has previously shifted the blame for Jan 6 to Pence, telling reporters in 2023, per The Guardian: “Had he sent the votes back to the legislatures, they wouldn’t have had a problem with January 6, so in many ways you can blame him for January 6.”
While the brief handshake between the former running mates might not signify a full reconciliation, it has sparked conversations about the possibility of healing old wounds. For Pence, it seems, the hope for moving forward remains unwavering.
