Deb Fischer shook Harris’ hand after completing her oath and thanked the vice president. When Harris expressed congratulations to the senator’s husband, he offered a short “thank you” and then dropped his newly freed left hand and put it in his pants pocket, prompting a raised-eyebrows reaction from Harris.

Members of the MAGAworld have defended a Nebraska senator’s husband for brazenly snubbing Kamala Harris when he refused to shake the vice president’s hand. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The husband of Senator Deb Fischer, Republican of Nebraska, drew criticism online when he failed to accept a handshake offered by Vice President Kamala D. Harris at his wife’s ceremonial swearing-in.