Republican senator’s husband defended by conservatives after Kamala Harris ‘snub’

Conservatives have rallied around Republican Nebraska senator Deb Fischer after her husband seemingly subbed a handshake from outgoing Democrat vice president Kamala Harris.

The Nebraska politician, who has served the state as a senator since 2013, was sworn into her third term in the US Senate on 3 January ahead of president-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House for a second term.

During the ceremony, Fischer’s husband, Bruce Fischer, stood between the two women. He had cane in his right hand and held a copy of the bible in his left, which Fischer placed her hand atop as she recited her oath before proceeding to smile and shake Harris’s hand as normal.

However, Bruce ignored the offer of a handshake from the outgoing vice president by putting his left hand in his pocket after the bible was taken from him.

Really thought he ate that LMAO pic.twitter.com/LNyHSHVlQg

— Harris HQ (@WhoTfmadethat) January 6, 2025

Harris raised her eyebrows and gave an awkward smile before all three posed for an uncomfortable-looking picture.

A video clip of the moment quickly went viral on social media, with many – Democrats and Republicans alike – criticising Bruce Fischer’s actions as “classless”, “rude” and “highly inappropriate”.

“If we want better political discourse in our country we should be the people who start it. Disrespecting a sitting Vice President is not a good look. I’m definitely not a fan of hers, but I choose to be respectful,” one user wrote.

“Can’t stand Harris but still shouldn’t do that,” another said.

Some conservatives though defended his actions and offered up a raft of reasons for why he avoided shaking the VP’s hand.

“What was he supposed to drop first in order to shake her hand? His cane or the Bible?,” one X user asked.

“Just to set the record straight, Bruce Fischer, husband of Sen Deb Fischer, was holding the Bible in his left hand & using a cane to support himself that he had in his right hand,” a second user wrote. “That’s why he couldn’t shake Kamala’s hand.”

“Bruce Fischer, 73, is holding a Bible in one hand & a cane in his other. Harris stupidly requests he shake her hand anyway,” a third wrote.

Others just seemed happy he had embarrassed Harris.

“No one is more deserving of the cold shoulder,” one person wrote.

“The look on Kamala’s face after she got snubbed 🤌,” a second said.

A third simply said: “Legend.”