The two made a rare appearance together at a solemn event in Minnesota when mourning families, public members, and political officials gathered to celebrate the life of a former House Speaker.
Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were murdered in a suspected politically motivated attack, and former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris recently attended their funeral.
The two leaders were spotted holding hands during prayer after sitting next to one other during the Catholic Mass.
The private service was held at Minneapolis’s Basilica of St. Mary on Saturday morning, June 28. Members of Congress, state representatives, and the couple’s friends were among the more than a thousand people there.
Harris showed up wearing a dark coat dress pinned with a button of remembrance, while Biden sported a black suit and navy tie. The two joined hands in a moment of silence as the crowd stood up for the Lord’s Prayer.
However, many netizens were concerned about Biden’s posture and health during the service. “He doesn’t look well. Very sad,” one Instagrammer wrote. “So weird,” another added.
One person suggested that Harris was “trying to keep him from falling down or wandering off.” This view was shared by a few others, with one commenter remarking, “She’s holding him up,” and another saying, “She was holding him up.”
Still, many viewers were moved by their presence at the funeral. One Facebooker described their attendance as a testament to “heart and class,” while another called the moment “so tragic,” adding that “Joe and Kamala are such sweet, kind people.”
The couple and their dog, Gilbert, were on display for guests to pay their condolences in the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda the day before the funeral, which followed a memorial service. The deceased politician is said to be the first female recipient of this honour in the history of the state.
That afternoon, the former president paid his respects and had a private meeting with the couple’s kids in the Capitol.
Governor Tim Walz, who was a pallbearer at the burial liturgy, characterised the Hortmans as dedicated public servants whose lives were based on joy and service.
“Melissa Hortman will be remembered as the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history,” he said, recalling that she had passed several bills into law over her 11-term tenure in the state House.
Father Dan Griffith, who spoke during the mass, praised the couple’s friendliness and warmth, referring to their house as the “Hortman Hotel.”
The couple’s son, Colin Hortman, read from a copy of the Prayer of St. Francis that had been discovered in his mother’s wallet and provided a concluding prayer.
Federal prosecutors claim that on June 14, Vance Boelter, 57, the murder suspect, shot the Hortmans dead inside their Brooklyn Park house while posing as a police officer. Also slain was the couple’s dog.
Boelter is accused of shooting and wounding Senator John Hoffman and his wife, another state senator, more than an hour before to their attack.
Officials have described the act as politically motivated, and it has sparked new discussions about safety and political radicalism.
Boelter was recently charged with two murders, two stalkings, and firearms crimes in federal court.
Although the death penalty has not been ruled out by the prosecution, charges that carry a life sentence without the possibility of parole could be brought in a separate state case.
Melissa spent 20 years in the legislature and was 55 when she passed away. She received legal training, graduating from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree, the University of Minnesota with a law degree, and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with a master’s in public administration.
Her two children survive her. She was remembered by her coworkers from all political parties for her practicality, humour, and unwavering commitment to making people’s lives better.