Trump and Harris shake hands at 9/11 commemoration

In the first of a series of solemn ceremonies commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris exchanged a handshake, just hours after their first presidential debate, when they met in person for the first time.

Vice Pres. Harris and former Pres. Trump shook hands again Wednesday as they arrived at the 9/11 anniversary ceremony in Manhattan.

The greeting came less than 12 hours after they met for the first time at the @ABC News Presidential Debate.

Read more: https://t.co/i76Y9X2tX4 pic.twitter.com/ltgQ2gCdvI

— ABC News (@ABC) September 11, 2024

The ceremony took place at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, in the presence of President Joe Biden, former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg and several other guests.

As Kamala Harris, alongside Joe Biden, chatted with Chuck Schumer, Mike Bloomberg drew his attention to Donald Trump, who held out his hand to exchange a few brief words. Trump showed a rare cordiality towards an opponent, returning the handshake that Kamala Harris herself had initiated at the start of the debate the day before.

A moment that did not go unnoticed as the event, designed to commemorate the 2,977 victims of the September 11th tragedy, was about to get underway.

With presidential candidates avoiding campaigning during the day of commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks, many wondered whether Trump and Harris would meet again after the previous day’s major debate.

The two candidates put their rivalry aside, if only for a moment.

After the Ground Zero memorial, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump were scheduled to travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to visit the Flight 93 memorial.

Later in the day, Biden and Harris would take part in a third 9/11 commemoration, this time at the Pentagon.