Washington DC/IBNS: In an awkward moment at the swearing-in ceremony of US senators on Friday, Republican Senator Deb Fischer's husband appeared to refuse to shake Vice President Kamala Harris' hand, a video of which is doing rounds on social media.

In the video, Bruce Fischer can be seen standing stiffly beside his Senator wife with a cane in one hand and a bible in another.

Deb subtly nudged her husband to respond to Harris. To this, Harris said jokingly, "It's okay, I won't bite. Don't worry".

Bruce appeared to smile but he did not make eye contact with Harris.

After Harris conducted the Senator's swearing-in ceremony, the two shook hands. Harris then put her hand forward towards Bruce for a handshake, but he seemed to refuse.

He, instead, said a short "thank you" and put his other hand in his pants pocket.

The Vice President then gave an awkward eyebrow-raising reaction.

Many liberals on social media attacked Bruce over the gesture.

Liberal podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen wrote on X: "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".

Author Don Winslow called Bruce's gesture "disgraceful", saying, "he cannot muster a few seconds of class to shake the hands of @VP Kamala Harris. States. IMO, only thing Bruce showed here was that pigs don't only live on farms. He is a pig."