Mike Pence fuels speculation that his wife snubbed Melania and reveals first words to Trump in four years
Former Vice President Mike Pence has further fueled speculation that his wife deliberately rejected Donald and Melania Trump at Jimmy Carter’s funeral earlier this week.
The event sparked scrutiny of the dynamic between the Pences and the Trumps, with cameras trained firmly on the former presidential partners, reigniting speculation about lingering tensions from their time in office.
It was the first time the couple had come face to face since their departure in January 2021.
The moment came just as Trump, the newly elected president, approached Pence to shake hands.
Although the exchange appeared cordial to those watching, Pence has now shared what was said during their brief interaction.
“He greeted me as he came down the aisle,” Pence said Christianity today.
‘I stood up and held out my hand. He shook my hand. I said, “Congratulations, Mr. President,” and he said, “Thank you, Mike.”
Yet what happened immediately afterwards – or rather didn’t happen – has sparked intense speculation.
Karen Pence (seated center) refused to acknowledge Donald and Melania Trump as they arrived at the Washington National Cathedral for President Jimmy Carter’s funeral
Mike Pence shook hands with Donald Trump, marking their first interaction since becoming his vice president in 2021. They had a major falling out after the January 6 attack on the Capitol
As Trump walked down the aisle, Karen Pence remained seated and refused to stand, extend her hand or even look in the direction of Trump or his wife Melania. Instead, she sat the entire time and looked ahead.
The former second lady’s response was in stark contrast to the way she warmly greeted former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, at the same event.
When asked about his wife’s behavior in the interview, Pence gave a carefully measured response that many have interpreted as a veiled admission of tension.
“You should ask my wife about her attitude,” he said. “But we’ve been married for 44 years, and she loves her husband, and her husband respects her deeply.”
The fallout between Trump and Pence after the 2020 election remains one of the most dramatic episodes in recent political history.
After Pence refused to support Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results, their relationship broke down irreparably.
The Jan. 6 House committee found it was a Proud Boys informant had told the FBI that if members of the group had found Pence that day they would have killed him.
Still, Pence refused to leave the Capitol that day, instead hiding in a garage-like building that was considered a secure location within the complex.
Melania Trump appeared to take a step toward Karen Pence to acknowledge her, but the former second lady declined
As Trump walked down the aisle, Karen Pence remained seated and refused to stand, extend her hand or even look in the direction of Trump or his wife Melania. Instead, she sat the entire time and looked ahead.
“The vice president did not want to take any chances that the world would see the vice president of the United States flee the Capitol,” his vice president counselor Greg Jacob testified to committee members in 2022.
Since leaving office, Pence has been in the political wilderness.
He tried to run against Trump for the 2024 nomination, but only stayed in the race from June to October 2023.
Thursday’s funeral marked their first public reunion in four years.
“The opportunity to speak with the president yesterday is something that I appreciated and was pleased about,” Pence said the next day.
“I’ve been really blessed with how much I’ve heard from people across the country who saw it [our] handshake, and in that handshake I saw some hope that we could get past those difficult days. That’s certainly my hope.”
Pence has repeatedly stuck to his role in certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory despite the political fallout, but Karen Pence’s apparent criticism has left political observers wondering if the disagreement runs even deeper than previously thought.
From an alternate angle, Pence can be seen looking at Trump as wife Karen Pence holds her face forward while looking down as Trump enters
When asked about his wife’s behavior in the interview, Pence gave a carefully measured response that many have interpreted as a veiled admission of tension (file photo)
Body language experts quickly analyzed and dissected every look and gesture, with the contrast between Karen Pence’s treatment of Trump and the Bushes only reinforcing theories that the snub was intentional.
Her decision to stay put and ignore Trump as he approached symbolized a deeper schism, not just between the Pences and the Trumps, but within the fractured Republican Party itself.
And while Mike Pence’s cautious words leave room for interpretation, his actions of standing up to greet Trump and congratulate him could be a signal that he is ready to heal and overcome old wounds.
Whether Karen Pence shares such sentiments remains an open question.
The former second lady’s response was in stark contrast to the way she warmly greeted former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, at the same event.
During last year’s election campaign, Pence declined to endorse Trump, but he also declined to endorse the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Instead, his political action committee funded ads ahead of the 2024 election, urging Americans to vote Republican on issues.
On Monday, the fourth anniversary of Jan. 6, Pence praised Harris for chairing the joint session to certify Trump’s victory.
He said it was “particularly admirable that Vice President Harris would preside over the endorsement of a presidential election she lost.”
Pence also sent well wishes to Trump.
“I welcome the return of order and civility in these historic events and offer my most sincere congratulations and prayers to President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on their election to lead this great nation,” he said.