A quiet but tense moment at Dick Cheneyâs funeral turned heads Thursday as former First Lady Jill Biden delivered a four-word message to Vice President Kamala Harris â and yes, people were watching closely.
This was the first public encounter between the Bidens and Harris since Harrisâs memoir 107 Days criticized her former boss, President Biden.
đïž The Scene at Washington National Cathedral
High-powered politicians gathered to honor Dick Cheney. The Bidens were seated near Harris.
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Jill and Joe Biden shook hands with attendees before finding their seats.
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Joe Biden greeted Mike Pence (sitting next to Harris).
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Jill leaned in and exchanged words with Harris.
According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, Biden first said:
âNice to see you, Kamala.â
Then Jill dropped the four-word line:
âHe wasnât ignoring you.â
Harris replied with a finger-point and smile:
âI know he wasnât, I was thinking youâre going to look at me, but he didnât.â
The row quickly turned forward to hear George W. Bushâs eulogy, but the moment left onlookers buzzing.
đŹ Why It Was Awkward
This was Harrisâs first public encounter with the Bidens since she described Bidenâs re-election decision as ârecklessâ in her memoir.
She wrote she never voiced her hesitation directly:
âI knew it would come off as self-serving if I advised him not to run⊠He would see it as naked ambition, maybe even poisonous disloyalty.â
Harris said her main concern was defeating Donald Trump, and feared ego and ambition influenced Bidenâs decision:
âThis wasnât a choice that should have been left to an individualâs ego⊠It should have been more than a personal decision.â
đïž Remembering Cheney
Dick Cheney, Bushâs vice president from 2001â2009, passed away from cardiovascular disease on November 3 at age 84.
Even at somber events, politics clearly finds a way into the room. đ

