By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-09 23:26:47 | Updated at 2025-01-10 06:48:25
7 hours ago
President Jimmy Carter's national funeral service was meant to be a celebration of the former-president's life, a time to set aside political differences and come together to remember a great man.
But that was seemingly too much to ask from America's former heads of state.
For while Carter, who died on December 29 aged 100, was known as a gentle soul who brought warring parties together, there seemed to be little unity in the pews.
The service held at Washington's National Cathedral on Thursday morning marked the first time all five living presidents and (most of) their spouses have been together since Donald Trump won a second term in the White House.
And if you thought that a recent cold snap had turned the air crisp outside the gothic church, you should have felt the polar chill inside.
As each presidential couple entered the nave, they took their seats in the second row and acknowledged the other mourners who had arrived before them. Or, at least, that's what they were supposed to do.
Trump was the first former chief executive to enter the church, flanked by First Lady Melania, seemingly dressed in a pilgrim's doublet and ruff.
As they approached the pews Al Gore, former vice president to Bill Clinton, rose to shake Trump's hand. Beside him Trump's former vice president Mike Pence got to his feet, although he couldn't quite bring himself to smile.
Carter's national funeral service was meant to be a celebration of the former-president's life, a time to set aside political differences and come together to remember a great man.
Trump was the first former chief executive to enter the church, flanked by First Lady Melania, seemingly dressed in a pilgrim's doublet and ruff.
This was, after all, the first time the two men had been in the same room together in the last four years. They quite catastrophically fell out over the storming of the US Capitol by Trump's supporters on January 6, 2021, amid chants of 'hang Mike Pence'.
Pence's wife Karen busied herself with her program the second she saw Trump approach and then stared into the middle distance
She noticeably stayed seated, apparently unwilling or unable to shake Trump or Melania's hands or even note their existence.
Next to arrive was 44th president, Barack Obama, solo.
Michelle Obama was the only First Lady not to attend, officially due to being on an 'extended vacation' in Hawaii, although one may wonder if the real reason was she couldn't stand the awkwardness.
Obama received a much warmer reception from Gore and the Pences than Trump did. The former VPs appeared to leap to their feet with enthusiasm… and even Karen perked up.
After saying his hellos, Obama took his seat next to Trump and the pair immediately struck up what looked like a very amicable conversation. Indeed, Trump was so concentrated on their jokes that he turned his back on Melania completely, leaving her alone at the end of the row.
President George W Bush nonchalantly strolled in with Laura, looking less like he was arriving at a state funeral and more like he had just finished a large lunch. He walked straight past Trump without offering a hint of recognition and clumsily scooted by Obama, tapping him on the belly.
Indeed, Trump was so concentrated on their jokes that he turned his back on Melania completely, leaving her alone at the end of the row.
The look on Melania's face, as she hurriedly flicked through her program, perhaps, said it all.
The scene was mortifying.
Next up was failed presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton, who looked like she would rather be literally anywhere else. Gore and Pence, who at this point were the only ones demonstrating consistent good manners, stood for Hillary, as did Karen. Bill Clinton followed, almost as an afterthought. His wide grin played more frightened than friendly.
But the most glum-faced attendees were yet to come: Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff. Not a single person stood, smiled or even seemed to make eye contact with the vice president and second gentleman as they slid into the front row.
Harris displayed utter joylessness, even letting out a sigh after turning to see Obama excitedly talking to her political nemesis, Trump.
Last were President Joe Biden and The First Lady.
Joe clutched Jill's hand as she guided him to their seats and then carefully swiped his program out of the way before he sat on it.
No one stood to greet them either, but the icy glance exchanged between Jill and Kamala may well have won the hotly-contested award for the day's most glacial gaze.
Biden didn't seem too worried though, perhaps because he was more concerned with licking his fingers and trying to rub a mark off his suit pants much to Jill's evident horror.
The awkwardness and tension of the entire affair captivated social media, with Americans watching in rapt horror to see just how uncomfortable it could get.
As one Twitter user said: 'Jimmy Carter's state funeral was really like the reunion of family members that all hate each other.'
Only Trump and Obama continued to chatter away, sending lip readers into a frenzy trying to work out just what they were saying to one another.
'Their body language quickly took on the form of old friends having an animated and quite intimate conversation,' body language expert Judi James told DailyMail.com.
Next up was failed presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton, who looked like she would rather be literally anywhere else.
The most glum-faced attendees were yet to come: Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff.
At one point, Trump turned to Obama and is reported to have said, according to our lip reader: 'I can't talk. We have to find a quiet place. Sometimes this is a matter of importance, and we need to do this outside so that we can deal with it, certainly, today.'
Obama nodded and both men apparently said 'right' and 'OK'.
One would expect that it was an immense relief when the service finally started and they could all focus on something other than studiously pretending the others didn't exist.
Perhaps the next time they get together, they would do well to remember Carter's legacy, and at least try to get along.
