Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to give a look of disgust Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama engaged in some banter prior to the funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter.
Carter, the 39th president, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, making him the longest-living former commander-in-chief in U.S. history.
Trump and Obama were seated next to each other for Carter’s service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Kamala Harris looks back at Trump, who is talking with Obama … ( Carter funeral ) pic.twitter.com/fnC3BqKmRO
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) January 9, 2025
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins noted the friendly exchange between the two, during which both smiled and laughed. “These are just moments that you do not see, hardly ever,” she said.
Jeff Zeleny, the network’s chief national affairs correspondent, agreed.
“It truly is extraordinary,” he said, but he pointed out, “If you look from these presidencies, they are linked from one to another to another.”
🚨NEW: Trump is seen talking with Barack Obama at Jimmy Carter’s state funeral.
“These are just moments that that you don’t see, hardly ever.” pic.twitter.com/SscWr8NCAP
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) January 9, 2025
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seated further down the row, also did not appear pleased as Trump and Obama spoke. Meanwhile, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, seemed unconcerned or, perhaps, even slightly amused.
Collins also noted that Trump shook the hands of former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Mike Pence as he went to take his seat.
President-elect Trump shakes hands with former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Mike Pence. pic.twitter.com/ObHj9pXwhS
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 9, 2025
“That is the first interaction that those two have had,” she said, referring to Trump and Pence. “They have not even been in the same room in four years.”
“It just was a moment to see them come and shake hands with one another,” Collins explained.
Obama and Trump sitting next to each other during the Jimmy Carter funeral. Trump and Obama having a conversation pic.twitter.com/agR1ppUN4g
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 9, 2025
In October, Obama and President Joe Biden appeared to have a tense exchange prior to the funeral for Ethel Kennedy, the widow of the late former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
I found the full exchange between Obama and Biden at Ethel Kennedy’s funeral — a VERY tense conversation 20 days out from the election.
If anyone can read lips, please let me know what they’re saying. It’s probably good. pic.twitter.com/BIZTL61SHT
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) October 16, 2024
A lip-reading expert later broke down the conservation that the two were having.
“She’s not as strong as me,” Biden said, apparently referring to Harris as a candidate against Trump, the New York Post reported.
Obama replied, “I know … that’s true,” but was hopeful there was still time to turn the election in her favor.
