Donald Trump and Kamala Harris awkwardly shook hands at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on Wednesday morning, just hours after the two exchanged insults during their heated presidential debate.
Trump and Harris at least appeared cordial at Ground Zero as they met for the second time in 24 hours, shaking hands in an awkward encounter.
Harris stood next to President Joe Biden, while former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg served as a buffer between the current administration and Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.
The presence of Trump, Biden and Harris is rare and one of the few times the former president and current president have attended together.
The commemoration takes place just hours after the two candidates left the stage and honors those who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
After meeting in person for the first time on the debate stage in Philadelphia, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump crossed paths again when they visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on Wednesday morning
Vice President Kamala Harris (left) shakes hands with former President Donald Trump (right) as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (center) and President Joe Biden (second from left) look on
Harris leaves Tuesday night’s debate with a new lead over Trump as many conclude she ‘won’ her first showdown with the former president
Three planes landed in New York in the early hours of Wednesday morning, coming from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Air Force Two was seen sandwiched between Trump Force One and the plane of his running mate Senator J.D. Vance, Trump Force Two.
Trump and his running mate Vance arrived at the trade center around 8 a.m. and posed for photos with several members of the audience.
About half an hour later, Harris arrived with Biden, to cheers from some in the audience: “Kamala!”
Biden and Trump shook hands, and Bloomberg appeared to facilitate a handshake between Harris and Trump.
At the time, the Democratic and Republican nominees stood just feet apart, with Biden and Bloomberg seemingly acting as a buffer between them.
The ceremony began with the ringing of a bell and a moment of silence.
Regardless of the campaign calendar, organizers of anniversary ceremonies have long taken pains to keep the focus on victims. For years, politicians were mere spectators at Ground Zero commemorations, with the microphone going instead to family members who read the names of victims aloud.
Biden, who arrived on Sept. 11 and likely has a half-century of political career behind him, was scheduled to later attend ceremonies with Harris in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon, the three sites where commercial airliners crashed 23 years ago after being seized by al Qaeda members.
Trump was also expected to attend the Flight 93 National Memorial near rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Kamala Harris and Joe Biden attend a remembrance ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center at Ground Zero in New York City on September 11, 2024
Michael Bloomberg, Donald Trump and JD Vance attend 9/11 memorial
The politicians paid their respects to the 2,977 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) appears to extend his arm for a handshake as he addresses President Joe Biden at a 9/11 memorial ceremony as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on
Harris, looking quite emotional, appears to cry as he remembers the victims of 9/11
It is common for Biden, Harris and Trump to all attend an event, as the current president and former president are rarely in the same place at the same time.
Trump did not attend Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. The last time they were in the same room was for their June debate, which ultimately led to the demise of Biden’s re-election bid.
Harris and Trump, 78, faced off in a heated debate Tuesday night for the first — and possibly the last — time before the November election.
Harris leaves the debate with a new advantage over Trump, as many conclude she “won” her first confrontation with the former president.
She opened the confrontation with an awkward greeting, which her supporters said was a power move, and walked across the stage to Trump’s lectern to shake his hand.
“Kamala Harris,” she said, introducing herself as the couple met for the first time. “Let’s have a good chat.”
“Good to see you. Have fun,” the former Republican president replied.
The exchange set the tone for the 90-minute debate, during which Harris grilled Trump about his economic policies, his refusal to concede defeat in the 2020 election and even his performance at rallies.
Trump was initially reserved, but became increasingly irritated as the evening progressed. He did, however, lash out at Democrats’ stance on immigration and inflation, consistently pushing the narrative that “Harris is Joe Biden.”
The conversation veered into unfamiliar territory, including accusations of eating pets and executing babies. Harris, who rarely discusses her personal stance on guns, admitted she is a “gun owner” and won’t confiscate weapons.
