Instances when all five living presidents come together are rare. But for Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday, they were all there.
President-elect Donald Trump was the first to arrive alongside former and future First Lady Melania Trump. Barack Obama, the Clintons, Bushes and Bidens were also in attendance. Michelle Obama was the only living first lady who was absent, with reports claiming she was in Hawaii.
Outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff were the last to take their seats among a sea of lawmakers and members of previous administrations. Given the funeral’s proximity to the election — and the heated rhetoric over the past few years — some notably awkward moments were spotted by those watching the service.
Trump and Pence
Trump came face to face with his former Vice President Mike Pence, and the two exchanged a few words and an awkward handshake, which is perhaps the most anyone could have hoped for given that their partnership ended with a crowd of Trump supporters calling for his second-in-command’s hanging during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Mike’s wife Karen Pence declined to shake hands with either of the Trumps.
