GOP Senator’s Husband Goes Viral After Refusing to Shake Hands With Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris swore in the newly-elected U.S. senators on Friday in her role as the president of the Senate. The various quick ceremonies grabbed multiple headlines as Harris took a friendly jab at Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and one of Sen. Dave McCormick’s (R-PA) daughters appeared to tell Harris she voted for her — among other notable moments.
As of Monday, the clip of Harris swearing in Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) for her third term was still going viral, but not because of anything Harris or the senator did. The exchange went normally enough with Harris leading Fischer in the oath of office, Fischer reciting it, and the two shaking hands as Harris thanked the Republican for all her work. Harris then turned to Fischer’s husband Bruce to shake his hand, which the senator’s husband bluntly refused to do.
Notably, Fischer’s husband was holding a Bible in one hand and a cane in the other — although it’s unclear whether or not that is why he did not move to shake Harris’s hand. At one point during the exchange, Harris urged Bruce Fischer to move in closer to her, telling him she “won’t bite.”
Right-wing website the Daily Caller shared the clip online Monday with the caption, “OUCH: Bruce Fischer, the husband of Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, does not shake Kamala Harris’ hand, leaving her flustered in a painfully awkward moment.” The post was later deleted.
The clip quickly sparked a kind of culture war on X, as both camps dug in with pro-MAGA influencers praising Bruce Fischer’s snub and many on the left calling it “classless.” Below are some of those reactions:
Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect additional details regarding Bruce Fischer and the Daily Caller deleting their tweet.
