"Not Even a Spouse, So Why Such a Kiss?"... US Political Scene's 'Kiss Scandal'

Kiss Scene Between US President's Wife and Vice President's Husband
"Inappropriate," "COVID Really Over Now" Sparks Debate

On the 7th (local time), a brief kissing scene at the U.S. Congress has attracted attention both domestically and internationally. The scene is being shared in real-time through social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter.

The protagonists of the scene are Dr. Jill Biden, wife of U.S. President Joe Biden, and Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is called the "Second Gentleman."

First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff are sharing a kiss.
Photo by APF Yonhap News

Most of the people attending the Congress greeted each other with a 'bisou,' a cheek kiss, but these two exchanged greetings as if kissing on the lips.

At the moment when the two shared a 'mouth-to-mouth' kiss with a familiar gesture, it did not attract much attention. Everyone around clapped without concern and welcomed Dr. Biden's appearance.

However, after the kissing scene spread on SNS, famous overseas figures and netizens began to express various opinions about the scene.

First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff are sharing a kiss.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to foreign media such as the New York Post, Megyn Kelly, a former anchor, criticized on a broadcast, saying, "You should not kiss on the mouth unless you are a spouse. Unfortunately, the (kissing scene) was uncomfortable."

Fox News, which usually takes a critical stance toward the Biden administration, also pointed out that it was "undoubtedly a clear mistake."

Kellyanne Conway, a former presidential adviser, posted the kissing scene on her Twitter, saying, "Wow, COVID is really over."

A tweet left by Kellyanne Conway, former President Trump's advisor / Photo by Kellyanne Conway Twitter capture

It is reported that the spouses of Dr. Jill Biden and Douglas Emhoff have not reacted to the scene.

Vice President Harris said evasively, "I have not seen that video," and President Biden reportedly did not comment on it.

Meanwhile, netizens at home and abroad criticized, saying, "Is this a possible scene?", "It's somewhat excessive," and "The state of the union address was overshadowed because of the kissing scene." Some analyzed the scene, saying, "It seems like a mistake while trying to do a bisou."