Republicans have truly perfected the art of turning every dignified occasion into a middle school dance-off.
This uncanny ability to inject cringe was on full display at the Capitol during the swearing-in for the 119th Congress, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s a momentous occasion expected to be filled with even a little bit of unexpected political cross-pollination. You’d expect everyone to put aside their differences and behave like grown-ups for a few minutes. But alas, that wasn’t in the cards for one particular Republican infant masquerading as an adult.
As the senators and their families took part in the one-on-one swearing-in ceremony, GOP Senator Deb Fischer’s husband, Bruce, refused to shake hands with the vice president. Harris, demonstrating far more grace than Fischer deserved, even joked, “I won’t bite,” as he stepped up to hold the Bible for his wife. All Bruce mustered in return was a curt “thank you,” quickly shoving his hand into his pocket.
Social media users were quick to call out Fischer’s blatant disrespect, with one aptly describing the incident as MAGA being “classless even in victory.”
Another user aptly described it as “disgraceful” and noting that “they are not even in power yet.”
Others speculated on the reasons behind the snub, wondering if it was because Harris is a woman, or if Bruce just doesn’t shake hands with Black people. Some even went so far as to label him an “old, white, wealthy, boomer, racist, full of hate.”
While we can’t peer into the twisted depths of Fischer’s soul to divine his true motivations, it’s glaringly obvious that his actions were, at the very least, a staggering display of disrespect. This kind of repugnant behavior is just another day ending in “y” for the Trump brigade. Who could forget the moment when Melania Trump essentially told Jill Biden to take her olive branch and shove it? It’s become a tradition for the outgoing First Lady to meet with her successor, but tradition and grace are foreign concepts to the Trumps and their minions.
Speaking of the Donald himself, let’s not forget his recent hissy fit over the nation’s flags being lowered to half-staff in honor of the late Jimmy Carter. In a post on Truth Social, Trump whined, “Nobody wants to see this.” While it’s understandable that Trump would want his inauguration day to be focused on his own presidency, his apparent lack of respect for the memory of a former president is concerning. Sorry, Donny, but you’re going to have to share the spotlight, whether you like it or not.
When all is said and done, it’s a sad commentary on the state of our politics when the bar for basic human decency has been set so low that we’re surprised when a Republican manages to clear it. If this is the game they want to play, then they’re winning — and we’ve got four more years of this to look forward to. May God help us all.