Trump and Harris exchange civil handshake at joint 9/11 event hours after bitter debate

The vice president greeted her Republican opponent with a smile

Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, greets Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Ground Zero on September 11, 2024 in New York City (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Less than 12 hours after she quite clearly got under Donald Trump’s skin on a Philadelphia debate stage, Vice President Kamala Harris shook hands with her Republican rival at a 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City.

Trump, who immediately complained at the conclusion of Tuesday night’s matchup about the proceedings being “rigged” and “unfair,” showed up Wednesday morning at the site of the September 11, 2001 terror attack with running mate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who aped his boss’s style in a matching blue suit and red tie.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. President Joe Biden, former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, and former U.S. President Donald Trump join family and friends at Ground Zero honoring the lives of those lost on the 23rd anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 (Getty Images)

Harris arrived at the site about 10 minutes after Trump, and beamed as she was warmly welcomed by the crowd. President Joe Biden stood by Harris’s side for the event marking the 23rd anniversary of the deadliest-ever terrorist strike on US soil; Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, whose firm lost 658 of its 960 employees on 9/11, was next to Trump, with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — who called Trump a “carnival barking clown” in 2020 in response to the then-president’s childish slurs over his height — positioned between them.

Once photographers snapped a raft of pictures of Harris, the VP and Oval Office hopeful chatted with Sen. Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat, then reached out to greet Trump with a handshake. Last night, Harris also made the first move to be civil to her opponent, who spent much of the 90-minute debate red-faced and yelling into the mic about nonsensical conspiracy theories involving, among other things, Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating people’s household pets.

Trump walked directly into numerous traps Harris laid for him during Tuesday’s debate (AFP via Getty Images)

Moments after the debate ended, pop star Taylor Swift publicly endorsed Harris. Trump’s performance opposite Harris was “devastating” to his campaign, CNN host Jake Tapper said. Former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, now with CNN, echoed Tapper’s analysis, saying Harris “pitched a shutout” against the former president and convicted felon. A flash poll conducted by CNN found Harris to be the debate’s decisive winner.

Biden on Wednesday said a brief hello to Trump, who has been vicious in his attacks on the sitting president.

In a statement issued prior to the event, Biden said, “On this day 23 years ago, terrorists believed they could break our will and bring us to our knees. They were wrong. They will always be wrong. In the darkest of hours, we found light. And in the face of fear, we came together — to defend our country, and to help one another. That is why terrorists targeted us in the first place: our freedom, our democracy, our unity.”

Taylor Swift publicly endorsed Kamala Harris moments after Tuesday’s debate ended (AFP via Getty Images)

Striking an optimistic tone running directly counter to Trump’s consistent drumbeat of a “failing nation” walking headlong into World War III, Biden’s statement portrayed the United States as a nation of boundless promise.

”[W]e are the United States of America,” the statement said. “We endure. We overcome. And there is nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.”

Disgraced ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was also on hand for the Wednesday morning ceremony. Harris and Trump will both be in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, later Wednesday for a ceremony memorializing United Flight 93, which went down during 2001’s coordinated attack, killing 40 passengers and crew. Biden and Harris will also take part in a 9/11 ceremony this afternoon at the Pentagon.