During a flight announcement to passengers, a Southwest Airlines pilot used an anti-Joe Biden slur called "Let's go Brandon" FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty & F Armstrong Photography / Shutterstock.com
Southwest Airlines pilot said, "Let's go Brandon!" during Friday's flight announcement.
Colleen Long, an Associated Press reporter, heard the slur while traveling from Houston, Texas to Albuquerque (New Mexico).
Conservatives have used "Let's go, Brandon" to secretly attack President Obama.
Southwest Airlines' Saturday flight turned political after one of its pilots made an announcement to passengers that included "Let’s Go, Brandon", a slur meant to insult President Joe Biden.
Colleen Long, AP, wrote that Friday's Southwest flight from Houston to Albuquerque had seen the pilot sign off his greetings over the public audio system. She used the phrase "to audible gasps by some passengers" in an article published Saturday.
Long was a passenger aboard the flight to take a vacation. She explained her experience in a tweet thread and was nearly removed from the plane after trying unsuccessfully to get the pilot's comment on the matter.
"Also in defence of airline [sic] they were asking them to open lockedcock pit [sic] and probably sounded crazy!" In a follow-up tweet, she added:
The flight details are not known. Southwest responded to Long and Insider by saying that it takes pride in creating a comfortable, welcoming environment for millions of customers who fly with them each year. Any behavior that is offensive or divisive is not tolerated.
The expression "Let's go, Brandon" is a dogwhistle for the right to secretly slam the president. It is rooted in a NASCAR race where Kelli Stavast, NBC Sports reporter, mistakenly thought that chants were saying "Let’s Go Brandon" when in fact they were saying "Fuck Joe Biden".
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Arizona's Marine veteran, who was being honored by Yuma County Sheriff's Office, wore a shirt that said "Let's go, Brandon" and was interviewed by local media. Conservative commentators also used the nickname "Brandon," to refer to the president instead of his real name.
Southwest Airlines did not cancel flights between Houston, Albuquerque and Houston on Friday. This indicates that Long's flight continued as planned despite the incident.
Southwest was unwillingly entangled in the culture war at heart of "Let's Go Brandon". This debate stemmed back to Columbus Day Weekend, when thousands of flights were cancelled due to severe weather and air traffic control problems. Prominent conservatives claimed that Southwest pilots were refusing President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate. This was due to Southwest's role as a federal contractor.
Conservatives from Texas Senator Ted Cruz to Ben Shapiro of the Daily Wire have all echoed this talking point. The airline and its pilot union denied that the cancellations were caused by vaccine protests.
Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, stated that they won't terminate any employees who don't follow the mandate or put them on unpaid leaves. Southwest has set a November 24, 2012 deadline for proof of vaccination and exemption requests in order to meet the December 8 deadline established by the Biden administration to contractors of the federal government.
Business Insider has the original article.
