Republican Sen. John Kennedy has been slammed as “tone deaf” after he made a political dig at a reporter while speaking about a terrorist attack in his home state of Louisiana.
The controversial quip came as he and other officials took questions about the Wednesday morning attack—which left at least 15 dead on New Orleans’ iconic Bourbon Street. A 42-year-old Army veteran named Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been named as the suspect, who was killed by officers who opened fire at the scene.
Early on in Tuesday’s press conference, a reporter told Kennedy that NBC News was “here on the right.” The remark was meant to help the 72-year-old identify each journalists’ affiliation as he geared up to answer a question during an afternoon press conference.
That prompted the Republican to remark, “Oh, that’s [an] unusual position.” He moved his hands to the right, seemingly suggesting NBC is a left-leaning outlet.
This appeared to confuse the reporter who had just assisted Kennedy. She called out, “I don’t get it.” Kennedy responded, “You wouldn’t.” He then took over the podium.
Democrats were quick to slam Kennedy—who has a long history of making bizarre comments to get attention—for making such a statement mere hours after dozens of his constituents were mowed down on the street as they celebrated the new year.
“Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana is a useless piece of s--t saying all the wrong things at the wrong time for all the wrong reasons,” wrote the political pundit Keith Olbermann on X. “What a tone deaf, selfish, senile motherf----r.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) malfunctions during a hearing on mass deportations.
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) December 10, 2024
KENNEDY: Who in Texas had their knives out for Black immigrants? Give me a name. Give me a name.
AARON REICHLIN-MELNICK: ...My suspicion is Ken Paxton...
KENNEDY: Give me a name. Give me a name.… pic.twitter.com/YpjSOENpT9
