The internet exploded Monday with outrage over a viral clip showing Bruce Fischer, husband of Republican Senator Deb Fischer, refusing to shake Vice President Kamala Harris’s hand during the swearing-in ceremony for the 119th Congress. Predictably, leftist commentators turned the moment into a soapbox, with political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen describing it as “the level of class you can expect from MAGA.”
The video shows Senator Fischer raising one hand to take her oath, with the other resting on a Bible held by her husband. After Harris congratulated the Nebraska senator and extended her hand to Bruce, he responded with a curt “Thank you,” but refrained from accepting the handshake. Harris’s reaction—a dramatic eyebrow raise and grimace—seemed to echo the shockwaves that rippled through the Democratic outrage machine. Online, critics like “Republicans Against Trump” labeled the gesture “classless,” while others lamented the supposed decline of American civility.
The husband of a Republican senator just refused to shake hands or make eye contact with Vice President Harris.
The level of class you can expect from MAGA. pic.twitter.com/hTarflIqlw
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) January 6, 2025
The real story here isn’t Bruce Fischer’s refusal to shake hands. It’s the left’s endless obsession with turning every interaction into a MAGA-bashing spectacle. Harris’s defenders are quick to call this moment an affront to “civility,” yet they conveniently forget how Democrats have treated conservative figures for years. From booing at public events to outright harassment in restaurants, the left’s version of “civility” often looks like anything but.
Senator Fischer, meanwhile, kept her focus where it belongs—on the people of Nebraska. In a statement, she said, “I’m humbled by the faith and trust Nebraskans have placed in me as I take this oath for the third time. I will not break that trust, and I will not betray that faith.” Her commitment to her constituents stands in stark contrast to the left’s fixation on petty theatrics.
Kamala Harris, as usual, played her role as the Democrats’ poster child for victimhood. But let’s not forget—this is the same vice president who laughs off serious issues like the border crisis and inflation. Her awkward interaction with Bruce Fischer is hardly the most pressing problem facing America today, no matter how much her defenders want to pretend otherwise.
Once again, the Democrats have shown that they’re more interested in scoring points on social media than addressing real issues. While they pearl-clutch over a missed handshake, the GOP is focused on restoring America-first policies that matter. Bruce Fischer’s refusal to shake hands wasn’t a lack of civility—it was a refusal to participate in the Democrats’ endless game of empty gestures. That’s the kind of quiet strength that will resonate with voters who are tired of the left’s manufactured outrage.
