Trump and Pence meet publicly for the first time since Trump almost killed Pence

WASHINGTON — The president-elect Donald Trump and his former vice president Mike Pence briefly greeted each other on Thursday at the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, marking the first time they had met in public – and perhaps at all – since Trump allegedly accepted calls from his supporters to kill Pence during the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

Trump and Pence were among former presidents and vice presidents attending a service at the National Cathedral for Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100. Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were there, as well as President Al Gore’s former vice president.

Vice President Kamala Harris sat in the front row with President Joe Biden as he delivered the eulogy.

It was the fastest of interactions. Trump entered with his wife, Melania, and shook hands with Gore, who stood to greet him. Pence sat next to Gore and similarly stood up to shake Trump’s hand. They were barely speaking when Pence leaned over and shook Melania’s hand. Pence immediately sat back down.

Pence’s wife, Karen, did not stand up or shake either of their hands and appeared to be looking straight ahead the entire time.

A spokesman for Pence did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether this was their first in-person meeting since the 2021 attack on the Capitol.

You can watch their awkward interaction here:

Trump accepted the cheers of his supporters calling for Pence to be hanged According to former Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), who was one of the lead investigators on the former House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

During a June 2022 committee hearing, Cheney cited testimony from Trump advisers who recalled the president saying, “Maybe our supporters have the right idea. Mike Pence deserves it.”

Trump supporters built a makeshift gallows in front of the Capitol that day. Some have called for Pence to be hanged for refusing to stop certifying Biden’s election victory.

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Trump claimed in May 2022 “he never said or thought about saying, ‘Hang Mike Pence.'”