In an unexpected encounter that some are calling a “remarkable moment,” two former vice presidents from opposing parties, Democrat Al Gore and Republican Mike Pence, shared a powerful exchange that has now been revealed by Michael Kruse of Politico.
The private conversation took place during the memorial service for former senator Joe Lieberman at the Washington Hebrew Congregation last summer. According to individuals close to both men, Al Gore approached Mike Pence at the service and expressed his gratitude for Pence’s actions on January 6, 2021.
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The date marks the day when a mob attacked the Capitol, and Pence, as vice president at the time, faced immense pressure from his own party to overturn the results of the presidential election. Despite these pressures, Pence stood firm, upholding his constitutional duty.
The moment was not just a typical exchange of pleasantries, but rather a meaningful acknowledgment. Pence responded with a surprising comment that linked his actions on January 6, 2021, to a formative moment from 20 years earlier.
He told Gore that his decision to uphold the Constitution in the face of immense pressure was influenced by something he had witnessed as a newly sworn-in member of Congress on January 6, 2001. On that day, the sitting vice president, Gore himself, had stood firm against political pressure despite the personal cost.
“I never forgot it,” Pence remarked to Gore, according to the report.
Politico’s national politics correspondent Adam Wren described the exchange as a “remarkable moment between Al Gore and Mike Pence.” Similarly, Poll Tracker referred to it as an “interesting exchange,” underscoring the significance of the conversation between these two former political rivals.
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This encounter sheds light on an unexpected bond formed by shared experience and mutual respect between two men who, despite their different political affiliations, both faced moments of extraordinary pressure in their roles as vice president. Their interaction serves as a reminder of the power of personal conviction and the deep, sometimes unspoken, connections that can form in the midst of political turmoil.