Senator Deb Fischer, a low-key Republican from Nebraska, was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, on Friday. Following this, the senator shook the vice president’s hand, however, her husband Bruce Fischer, who held up the Bible during the swearing-in ceremony, refused to shake the vice president’s hand as she reached for his hand.
In the now-viral video, Bruce can be seen standing upright beside his wife, holding a cane in one hand and a Bible in the other, while looking directly into the camera as Harris approaches them. As Deb nudged him toward Harris, the Vice President attempted to break the tension with a light-hearted comment: “It’s okay, I won’t bite. I’m not going to bite, don’t worry,”
GOP Senator Deb Fischer’s husband, Bruce, refuses to shake Vice President Kamala Harris’s hand after her swearing-in. Truly classless. pic.twitter.com/a0ZQuDV0t0
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 6, 2025
Though Bruce smiled, he didn’t make eye contact or shake Harris’ hand, instead offering a brief “thank you.”. Meanwhile, Harris turned back to the camera and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
The ceremonial swearing-in of new senators is typically a routine part of the commencement of a new Congress, a ritual designed to display courtesy and camaraderie, with even political opponents smiling together for family photos, as per The New York Times.
Footage of the awkward interaction has gone viral, with Democrats accusing Bruce Fischer of being racist, sexist and disrespectful of the vice president while (Make America Great Again) MAGA commenters defending him.
On X a person commented, “What a classless jerk. Shame on him, and on Deb Fischer as well. Tell your husband a lesson when you get home. Behaviour not acceptable!”
“Maybe he was following COVID protocols?”
“Is it that she’s a woman, or does Bruce Fischer just not shake hands with black people?”
Qondi Ntini, a content creator, wrote online that “we will stop talking about race when people stop doing things like this.”
The reactions highlighted how even the simplest interpersonal interactions in Washington are now closely examined for hints of the underlying passions and hostilities between members of opposing parties, barely concealed beneath the surface, reported The New York Times.
