Republican Senator John Kennedy faced backlash for being “tone deaf” after he took a jab at a journalist while discussing a terrorist incident in his home state of Louisiana.
The contentious comment arose as he and other officials responded to inquiries about an attack that occurred on Wednesday morning, resulting in at least 15 fatalities on New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street. The suspect, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was subsequently shot and killed by responding officers.
During the early moments of Tuesday’s press conference, a reporter informed Kennedy that NBC News was “positioned on the right.” This comment was intended to assist the 72-year-old in recognizing each journalist’s affiliation as he prepared to respond to a query during an afternoon briefing.
In response, the Republican quipped, “Oh, that’s [an] unconventional stance.” He gestured to the right with his hands, seemingly implying that NBC aligns more with leftist views.
This statement puzzled the reporter who had just tried to assist him. She exclaimed, “I don’t understand.” Kennedy retorted, “You wouldn’t.” He then took the podium for himself.
Democrats were quick to criticize Kennedy—known for his odd comments aimed at drawing attention—for making such remarks just hours after numerous constituents were tragically attacked while celebrating the New Year.
“Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana is a worthless piece of s–t saying all the wrong things at the wrong time for all the wrong motivations,” remarked political commentator Keith Olbermann on X. “What a tone deaf, self-serving, aging motherf—-r.”
The timing of Kennedy’s comments also frustrated some within the Republican party. The “Republicans against Trump” account on X declared him a “disgrace” for making the incident about himself to its 780,000 followers.
This viewpoint was echoed widely, focusing not just on the senator’s quip directed at a journalist.
Kennedy, appearing somewhat disheveled, also drank from two red solo cups—wrapped in paper towels—during part of the press conference. He vowed to “stir up fresh hell” and “pursue the federal government responsible for informing us of the facts like they’ve taken Christmas away” if he finds the FBI’s reports unsatisfactory, despite a wealth of information already available regarding Jabbar and his potential motives.
The legislator also criticized Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, indicating a lack of respect for the Biden Administration official, whom South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is set to replace, being Donald Trump’s pick for the position.
“I recently spoke to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and I told him that, with all the respect I could muster, we expect to mobilize the full strength and resources of the federal government behind this investigation.”
Later on Fox News, Kennedy did not dismiss the possibility of terrorist groups posing a threat to other major American cities. When host Aishah Hasnie asked if citizens should be wary of a subsequent attack, Kennedy simply replied: “I can’t say—I can, but I won’t.”
Despite facing criticism, a few admirers of Kennedy’s antics emerged.
Conservative commentator Kimberly Klacik suggested that the senator had rightly “taken charge” of the press conference from FBI special agent Alethea Duncan—despite his commentary providing more theatrics than substantial details.
Klacik described the news conference as “certainly among the worst” she had observed, but attributed that blame to the federal representatives.
“I can barely take notes,” she stated. “They are all over the map.”
