Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton refused to shake hands at the third and final presidential debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday. They didn’t even shake hands at the end of the debate, like the did at the end of the second one.
The lack of a handshake sealed the deal on something everyone knows: These two really just don’t seem to like each other.
Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, hinted that might happen earlier in the day during an interview with CNN, though a final decision had not yet been made.
As pre-arranged, Bill Clinton and Melania Trump didn’t shake, either. The candidates’ spouses agreed to shake hands in past debates, according to a New York Times report. But Clinton’s campaign wanted a different setup, according to the Times, after Trump invited three women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault and rape to sit with the family in order to embarrass the former president.
Clinton’s camp did not take any chances the time, getting approval for a different protocol for the candidates’ spouses and families as well. The new rules called for the candidate’s family to enter the arena closer to their seats without crossing paths.
.@debates commission co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf: I would shake hands for the best interest of the American people. https://t.co/swEsZ47LU0
— Carol Costello (@CarolC) October 19, 2016