WATCH: Rick Perry Blows Bubble Gum While Rabbi Gives Blessing

Image by Getty Images

By Daniel J. Solomon January 20, 2017

While Rabbi Marvin Hier gave a blessing after the inaugural speech of President Donald Trump, Rick Perry had other things on his mind — and in his mouth.

Here’s Rick Perry blowing a bubble with his gum behind President Trump as the rabbi spoke pic.twitter.com/zrvrINKISs

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) January 20, 2017

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)
I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Email(Required)

Video shows him standing behind the president, sucking on gum and blowing a bubble during Hier’s address. Anyone’s who spent time in shul knows it’s hardly a cardinal sin to suck on candy while the rabbi is giving his sermon. But at the inauguration?

The former Texas governor and Trump pick for Energy Secretary does have a memorable history of faux pas. He forgot the names of the federal departments he wanted to eliminate while on a debate stage four years ago (one of them was Energy). And there’s a video out there of him getting too excited about a bottle of maple syrup. Add this to the annals now.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO