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Fox News liberal commentator Jessica Tarlov has stirred controversy with her comments regarding Karen Pence’s apparent avoidance of the Trumps during former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Tarlov, a co-host on The Five, referred to the moment when Karen Pence seemed to deliberately avoid making eye contact with Melania Trump as one of her “favorite moments” of the event. While Melania Trump maintained her composure with a polite smile, the subtle snub sparked renewed discussion about the strained relationship between the Trumps and the Pences.
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“Two favorite moments, definitely [George] W. doing the little tummy pat on Obama, showing a real camaraderie between them. I thought that was very sweet. And the most interesting person to me was Karen Pence, who would not look up at Trump,” Tarlov remarked.
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Tarlov went on to suggest that Karen Pence’s body language indicated a rejection of President Trump, claiming, “She was head down, like, ‘If you think my husband should have been hanged for certifying the election results, I have no time for you.’” This statement references an allegation from former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who claimed Trump expressed support for Pence’s execution, though Hutchinson did not provide evidence to support her claim. Trump has categorically denied ever making such a statement.
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Hutchinson also previously made claims about Trump attempting to “commandeer” the presidential limo during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, but these claims have been disproven. Tarlov concluded, “You know, Mike Pence obviously got up and shook hands, but that’s my take.”
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Her comments were widely criticized on social media. “Admiring of disrespect for Trump,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter). Another remarked, “Tummy pat? What is she, a toddler?” Several others expressed frustration with Tarlov’s perspective, with one user writing, “Really? @FoxNews, do you think this content from the squeaky, intellectually inferior woman is what we want to see? GAG. Melania was in a beautiful Valentino and Indiana Pence was small and mean.”
Other users offered their own critiques, with one stating, “Many Hoosiers agree with you. Karen Pence came across as classless in her (in)action. The display was noticeably disrespectful to the Trumps. What a judgemental, egotistical, hypocritical personality she must have. Meaningless … & apparently miserable. Why else act like that?”
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One user summed up the sentiment with, “Jessica Tarlov says one of her favorite moments of the Jimmy Carter funeral was when Karen Pence wouldn’t look at Trump or Melania. What a deranged individual.” Former Vice President Mike Pence responded to the incident by emphasizing the positive interaction he had with President Trump at Carter’s funeral. In a podcast interview with Christianity Today Editor-in-Chief Russell Moore, Pence described the moment as one of mutual respect.
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“The opportunity to speak to the president yesterday is something that I appreciated, I welcomed,” Pence said, recalling his first face-to-face meeting with Trump in four years. He continued, “I’ve really been blessed by how much I’ve heard from people around the country who saw our handshake and, in that handshake, saw some hope that we might be moving past those difficult days.”
Trump, Pence recalled, greeted him as he came down the aisle. “I stood up, extended my hand. He shook my hand. I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike.’” Pence added, “You’d have to ask my wife about her posture, but we’ve been married 44 years, and she loves her husband, and her husband respects her deeply.”