Former Vice President Mike Pence shared details about his first conversation with his former boss, President-elect Donald Trump, since they both left office in 2021.
The two men exchanged a brief greeting and shook hands when they crossed paths on their way to their seats at the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, held at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on Thursday. Pence recalled the encounter, 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,’” in an interview with Christianity Today.
Pence, now 65, expressed his appreciation for the moment, as it marked a rare interaction between him and Trump, especially after their strained relationship following the 2020 election. In that time, Trump had blamed Pence for his loss, citing Pence’s role in certifying the election results on January 6, 2021, as president of the Senate. During the certification, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.”
Reflecting on their interaction, Pence remarked, “The opportunity to speak to the president yesterday is something that I appreciated, I welcomed,” adding that he had been heartened by the positive reactions he received from people across the country who witnessed their handshake. He noted, “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.” He continued, “That’s certainly my hope,” in his conversation with podcast host Russell Moore.
Those “difficult days” included an earlier exchange between Pence and Trump, where Pence offered to pray for Trump in their final conversation while still in office, but Trump responded coldly, saying, “Don’t bother,” according to Christianity Today. Pence recalled, “I said, ‘You know, there’s probably two things that we’re never going to agree on,’” before the conversation ended.
He went on to share his recollection of the exchange, saying, “We’re probably never going to agree on what my duty was under the Constitution on January 6,” and added, “And I’m never going to stop praying for you.” Pence said that Trump’s response was, “‘That’s right. Mike, don’t ever change.”
Pence also addressed the incident involving his wife, Karen Pence, who was reportedly seen giving the cold shoulder to Donald and Melania Trump as they passed by her at Carter’s funeral. In response, Pence said, “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,” during the interview.
{Matzav.com}