Fox News liberal commentator Jessica Tarlov sparked controversy with her remarks about Karen Pence’s interaction—or lack thereof—with Melania Trump during former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
“The Five” co-host referred to the moment when Karen Pence appeared to avoid eye contact or acknowledgment of the Trumps as one of her “favorite moments” of the event. While Melania Trump kept her composure with a gracious smile, the apparent snub reignited discussions about the strained relationship between the Trumps and Pences.
“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 said during the segment.
“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,’” Tarlov said, claiming that President-elect Trump expressed support for ‘hanging’ his then-vice president.
But that claim comes from former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who made it “without providing further evidence,” ABC News noted. Trump has denied ever expressing support for ‘hanging’ Pence.
Also, Hutchinson’s claims that Trump tried to ‘commandeer’ the presidential limo from his Secret Service driver the day of the Capitol riot — Jan. 6, 2021 — have also been shown to be false.
“You know, Mike Pence obviously got up and shook hands, but that’s my take,” Tarlov concluded.
Her comments were shredded on social media. “Admiring of disrespect for Trump,” one user wrote on the X platform. “Tummy pat? What is she, a toddler?” wrote another. “Long TDS,” said another, which appeared to combine “long COVID” and ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“Really? @FoxNews 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,” yet another wrote.
Still another user added: “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?”
“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,” the johnny MAGA account noted.
WATCH:
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. pic.twitter.com/oX6t3czXlu
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) January 9, 2025
For his part, the former vice president said on Friday that he “welcomed” his interaction with his one-time boss and running mate when the two men met face to face for the first time in four years at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
The service’s broadcast featured several memorable moments, including a notable conversation between Obama and Trump within earshot of Vice President Kamala Harris.
“The opportunity to speak to the president yesterday is something that I appreciated, I welcomed,” Pence told Christianity Today Editor-in-Chief Russell Moore for a podcast episode slated to air Wednesday.
“I’ve really been blessed at 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,” he continued. “That’s certainly my hope.”
Trump “greeted me when 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 said. “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.”