Joe Biden and Mike Pence bump elbows at 9/11 memorial in NYC as ‘tasteless’ flyover is CANCELED
JOE Biden and Mike Pence engaged in a rare display of unity during the 9/11 Memorial's annual commemoration in New York on Friday.
The former and current vice presidents paid respects to the thousands of lives lost in the tragic terror attacks which rocked the world 19 years ago.
Dr Jill Biden and Second Lady Karen Pence also greeted one another with the gesture.
Despite the political significance of the upcoming , Biden insisted that he would steer clear of on a national day of mourning.
"I'm not gonna make any news today. I'm not gonna talk about anything other than ," he told reporters.
"We , it's a solemn day, and that's how we're going to keep it, OK?"
Biden was due to visit Shanksville – the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 – for memorial events later on Friday, after Trump traveled there on Friday morning to mark the anniversary.
"The mayor wasn't aware of the flyover, and frankly it's inappropriate. He looks forward to thanking our heroes and honoring those we've lost at the ceremony this morning," the statement read.
On September 11, 2001, a total of at least 2,977 people were killed in the terror attacks in New York, at the Pentagon in northern Virginia, and at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93, one of four planes hijacked that day by Islamic extremists, crashed to the ground.
Most of the deaths occurred in New York. Thousands of more people have died from illnesses related to the attacks, following the tragedy.