It is without fail that patriotic American holidays bring out the cringe among politicians and candidates for public office, and Terry McAuliffe is no exception to that rule.

McAuliffe, a prominent Clintonista and former governor who last month easily won the Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nomination after getting roughed up by other nominees in the preceding weeks, took to the Twitter machine over the weekend to post a video of himself standing on a back porch in front of a grill while wearing an American flag t-shirt and flashing a can of beer. You can also see burgers and hot dogs on the grill as he’s speaking.

“Happy July 4th, everybody,” he began. “Spectacular day for America, down here at Smith Mountain Lake, enjoying with the family down here. I got some burgers going, I’ve got some Greek sausage, got myself a nice cold beer, a nice hot dog, sausage, hamburger, beer. That is July 4th, man. Everybody, have a great day today. Let’s go, Virginia.”

Watch:

Happy July 4th, Virginia. This year is extra special. America is back.🇺🇸🇺🇸🍻🍺🌭🍔 pic.twitter.com/VrWKK9viAm

— Terry McAuliffe (@TerryMcAuliffe) July 3, 2021

“Happy July 4th”? Do people really say that much anymore? If I ever have, it was definitely by mistake and I apologize right now. It’s Independence Day, not merely “July 4th,” not just any other random date on a calendar (except maybe if you’re a Democrat). That’s almost like saying “Enjoy the long weekend” on the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Definitely not a good look, not even for someone trying to win the highest political office in what has (sadly) become a blue state primarily thanks to the state’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas, where all the Important People work and mingle.

Naturally, yours truly and numerous others had some questions about what was on display during the video. Like, for example, was the grill even on? I mean the spatula doesn’t even appear to be dirty from use:

Cringe. Is the grill even on? https://t.co/qtuFzx0AJG

— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) July 5, 2021

You have to turn the grill on, my man.

— just alan (@JustJustalan) July 5, 2021

Some pointed out that both the shirt and the grill appeared to be new:

Is it even his grill/deck?

And that shirt JUST came out of the wrapper.

— NOWyoucare? (@DidntUsed2) July 5, 2021

That grill is fresh out of the box (doubt its even got a tank hooked to it)—hasn't even been 'seasoned' like every new grill should be

FAKE

— RPS57 (@rps57) July 5, 2021

Others noted that some room is supposed to be left on the grill to be able to “flip and turn” the goods:

The grill is a little full. Normally leave a bit of room to flip and turn.

— Dr. Inconceivable! ⭐🚨😜 (@RickWahler) July 5, 2021

One guy even suggested the consultant who thought it would be a good idea to stage a video like this should be canned:

You should fire the consultant who told you to do this.

— David Blair (@RealDavidBlair) July 5, 2021

All that said, perhaps the worst part of the video was the fact that the beer can wasn’t even open, which in my view was clear and convincing evidence that it was staged 😉

if you want to drink the beer you'll need to open the can first

— Nathan Klein (@NathanKleinDC) July 5, 2021

No. And the beer is still closed too.

— Alex Furlong (@RoombaWithAView) July 5, 2021

If for no other reason (and there are plenty of them), holding an unopened beer can in a video where you’re bragging about drinking “a cold one” should be automatic grounds for disqualification. That, and wearing custom-made aprons that declare you to be the “ambassador” for you state’s barbecue.

Just sayin’.

Can Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin save the state of Virginia from this political scourge? Stay tuned…

Flashback: Kamala Harris Causes Cringe Detectors to Explode During Naval Academy Speech