Hillary Clinton did not make eye contact with President Donald Trump when her former rival from the 2016 presidential election arrived for George H.W. Bush’s funeral.
Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton sat two seats away from President Trump and first lady Melania Trump – in the first gathering of the four since Inauguration Day.
Hillary Clinton looked resolutely ahead during their arrival at Washington National Cathedral even as the first couple walked by her to take their seats.
President Trump, Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton seated in the front row together for former President George H.W. Bush’s funeral
Hillary Clinton ignored Trump, her 2016 rival, when he arrived for Bush’s funeral
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump being led to their seats in the front row of the National Cathedral, walking past their predecessors
Trump shook hands with Obama
They were all gathered to pay tribute to the late President George H.W. Bush, who would become like the father Bill Clinton never had.
Seated in order of presidential precedence, Trump sat in the first seat in the first row of the Washington National Cathedral with the first lady beside him.
Next to her was former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, and then Bill Clinton with Hillary Clinton beside him.
Melania Trump shook hands with the Obamas and Bill Clinton when she arrived at the row of seats.
President Trump shook hands with the Obamas only.
The atmosphere seemed tense as the row of leaders awaited the casket carrying the remains of the former president.
They all stared straight ahead and did not speak.
Former President George W. Bush shook hands with the entire front row when he arrived with his father’s casket.
He sat across the aisle from the row of presidents with his family but, before he took his seat, he walked over to shake hands with the Trumps, the Obamas, the Clintons, former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
Such a gathering of presidents and former occupants of the Oval Office has not been seen since Trump was inaugurated.
He defeated Hillary Clinton in a bitter election where she won the popular vote but he won the electoral college vote.
Vice President Mike Pence did greet the Clintons upon his and his wife Karen’s arrival at the Cathedral, which was before the Trumps arrived. He shook hands with both Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton stares straight ahead as the Trumps arrive to take their seats
Melania Trump shook Bill Clinton’s hand when she arrived but President Trump only shook hands with the Obamas
Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with Bill Clinton upon his arrival at the Cathedral
President Trump and Melania Trump arrive for the funeral
The couples await the arrival of the casket bearing the remains of the late President Bush
The president did not attend the funeral of Barbara Bush in April when all the former first couples gathered to support George H.W. Bush.
Melania Trump did attend however.
The late President Bush became like a father to Bill Clinton, whose biological father died three months before he was born.
Clinton defeated Bush in the 1992 presidential election but the two went on to form an unlikely friendship after Clinton left office.
It was President George W. Bush who got the friendship started.
In December 2004, after a tsunami devastated the coast of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, he asked the two to help in figuring out how to administer aid.
Former President George W. Bush shook hands with the Trumps, Obamas, Clintons and Carters
The couples held their hands over their hearts for the arrival of the casket carrying the remains of the former President George H.W. Bush
Melania Trump attended Barbara Bush’s funeral in April and was pictured with former President George H.W. Bush, former President George W. Bush, former first lady Laura Bush, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, and former first lady Michelle Obama
Bill Clinton visited George H.W. Bush at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, as he did in June 2018 where Bush wore ‘Clinton’ socks
President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush greet Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton at the White House on Clinton’s inauguration day
Clinton and the elder Bush toured the region together and formed a bond.
Their friendship was chronicled by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy in their book ‘The Presidents’ Club’: ‘No relationship is quite like the bond between George H.W. Bush and the man who defeated him in 1992,’ they wrote. ‘Bush would go so far as to suggest more than once that he might be the father that Clinton had always lacked—a notion that the younger man did not dispute.’
President George W. Bush jokingly has called Clinton his ‘brother.’
The letter George H.W. Bush left Clinton on Clinton’s inauguration day went viral in the days after his funeral.
‘I’m rooting for you,’ the outgoing president wrote his successor.