Southwest Airlines pledged to investigate the incident in which at least one of its pilots said the words "Lets go Brandon" over the plane's public address system. This insult has made the phrase very popular. In a strange twist of fate, Colleen Long, an Associated Press reporter, was just on board the plane and was writing about the increasing popularity of the phrase. Long tweeted about that feeling you get when you want to go on vacation but the pilot speaks the exact same thing. The TikTok video of a Southwest pilot uttering the phrase spreads like wildfire across social media. However, it is unclear if it was from the same flight.
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TFW you're trying to go on vacation, and the pilot mentions the exact thing you are working on. You have to try to get his comment but he almost gets removed from the plane. https://t.co/xZI5FtLzJB Colleen Long (@ctlong1) October 30, 2021
Long claimed she heard the phrase while on Southwest's flight from Houston to Albuquerque Friday morning. She also noted that there were some gasps from passengers as the pilot used the phrase to sign off to his greeting through the public address system. Long stated that she knew she was probably crazy because she was asking for a locked cockpit. Southwest later reacted strongly to the comment. Southwest doesn't condone employees expressing their political views while they are serving customers. This is especially true when the comments are divisive or offensive.
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In defense of the airline, I also asked them to open locked cage pits. This was probably insane! Colleen Long (@ctlong1) October 30, 2020
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After the report that the pilot had uttered the chant, which has been popularized in right-wing circles, the airline promised to investigate. There was a lot of anger on social media. Many called for a boycott of this airline after it was subject to numerous flight cancellations. Rumours that the airline's cancellations were due to vaccine mandates have been denied by the airline.
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If @SouthwestAir does not do anything, any passenger on the flight can file a complaint at @FAANews. Southwest will be required to investigate the incident or defend him. Enjoy that. You must not mess around with the air. Bright line rule. https://t.co/L7VlZWJ0SU Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) October 30, 2021
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Until and unless @SouthwestAir fires its #LetsGoBrandon pilot I will never fly on that airline... https://t.co/i5RUDlQMzM Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) October 30, 2021
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In recent weeks, the phrase has gained popularity as seemingly innocent words have been used to insult the president. The phrase dates back to the time that a crowd at Alabama's Talladega Speedway began to chant Fuck Joe Biden. A NBC sports reporter was at the scene interviewing Brandon Brown, NASCAR's driver. He claimed that the crowd was actually chanting "Lets go Brandon!" Some conservatives claimed it was a case of journalists misrepresenting the truth. The chant has been spreading all over the place and was even heard on the House of Representatives floor by Rep. Bill Posey.
