A Republican senator known for his support of Donald Trump insulted a member of the media this week – while speaking about the recent terror attack in New Orleans.
The prank by 72-year-old John Kennedy of Louisiana came hours after 14 people were killed on the city’s iconic Bourbon Street by a 42-year-old Army veteran who was shot dead on the spot.
As Kennedy was tasked with briefing members of the media, a reporter was heard reminding the conservative that NBC News was “over here on the right.”
Kennedy’s response – delivered jointly with law enforcement officials and state Governor Jeff Landry – has lived in infamy ever since, seemingly unable to resist satirizing the network’s progressive reputation.
“That’s an unusual position,” he said out loud Wednesday, amid a combination of laughter and confusion.
As he spoke, Kennedy was seen moving his hands to the right, further driving home the idea that NBC is a left-wing outlet.
The jab was apparently answered in jest, but quickly sparked a flood of outrage on social media.
On the floor in New Orleans, it seemed to confuse the reporter who had initially called the direction. She was heard shouting, “I don’t get it,” to which a Kennedy replied, “You wouldn’t do that,” before taking over the stage.
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John Kennedy, a Republican senator representing Louisiana, insulted a member of the media this week when speaking about the terrorist attack in New Orleans
The prank by 72-year-old John Kennedy of Louisiana came hours after 15 people were killed on the city’s iconic Bourbon Street by a 42-year-old Army veteran who was shot dead on the spot.
The rest of the conference contained far fewer jokes – not surprising given the occasion.
However, Kennedy did have some strong words about the federal support the city received during the investigation at the time, before the FBI finally intervened.
As a result, the outspoken senator’s comments were steeped in contempt as he appeared visibly frustrated with the situation.
“I spoke with the Secretary of Homeland Security a while ago and I told him that, with all the respect I could muster, we expect him to put the full force and resources of the federal government behind this investigation. he said.
Taking occasional sips from two red solo cups, the politician also vowed to “raise another hell” and “pursue the federal government” for more information.
At the time, details of the alleged terror attack were still trickling out, leading to an erroneous report from Fox News that the Texas-born suspect’s truck crossed the U.S. border in Eagle Pass “two days ago.”
Attributed to anonymous sources, the piece of misinformation injected politics into the nascent investigation, and was quickly broadcast as fact by a fervent President-elect Trump.
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was continually refuted by the Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” he wrote on Truth for Eight Minutes Social. later.
As Kennedy was tasked with briefing members of the media, a reporter was heard reminding the conservative that NBC News was “over here on the right.”
Kennedy’s response – delivered jointly with law enforcement officials and state Governor Jeff Landry – has lived in infamy ever since, as he seemingly couldn’t resist furthering the network’s progressive reputation.
At the time, details of the suspected terror attack were still trickling out, leading to an erroneous report from Fox News that the Texas-born suspect’s truck crossed the U.S. border in Eagle Pass “two days ago.”
Before Fox could change the report, he added: “The crime rate in our country is at levels no one has ever seen before.
“Our hearts are with all the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department.”
Hours later, it was revealed that the suspect was a U.S. citizen, Beaumont native Shamsud-Din Jabbar. He was serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, and the car he drove into a crowd gathered in the city’s famed French Quarter wasn’t even his.
He had rented it through an app known as Turo, and the person who Fox reported driving the Ford-150 across the border turned out to be someone else.
The timeline was also incorrect: the conservative news outlet later changed the claim from “two days” to “two months.”
But the damage had already been done, and unsubstantiated allegations emerged online that the FBI was on the ground covering up the incident.
While this was happening, Kennedy continued to offer his update, looking somewhat disheveled as he insulated his plastic cups with paper towels.
He vowed to pursue the FBI like “they stole Christmas” to find out the “truth” as his earlier joke sparked some backlash online.
The piece of misinformation, attributed to anonymous sources, brought politics into the nascent investigation and was quickly broadcast as fact by a fervent President-elect Trump.
Hours later, it was revealed that the suspect was a U.S. citizen, Beaumont native Shamsud-Din Jabbar. He was serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, and the car he drove into a crowd gathered in the city’s famed French Quarter wasn’t even his.
While this was happening, Kennedy continued to offer his update, looking somewhat disheveled as he insulated his plastic cups with paper towels. He vowed to pursue the FBI like ‘they stole Christmas’ to find out the ‘truth’, while his joke sparked some backlash online
The checked account ‘Republicans against Trump’ wrote that Kennedy was a ‘disgrace’ and tweeted to more than 780,000 followers.
Conservative political commentator Kimberly Klacik added that the conference was “absolutely one of the worst” she had ever seen, tweeting: “I can barely take notes.”
‘There’s a lot of information going around. Some of it is actually true. Some of it is not,” Kennedy said earlier in the day, adding that information is still coming out.
An hour later, President Joe Biden promised to give viewers updates — as the case continues to develop. The FBI is conducting the investigation.