Republican senator takes shot at media during New Orleans attack press conference
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‘No cover-ups’ GOP senator demands as FBI reports New Orleans suspect carried Islamic State flag. A Republican senator known for his antics in front of the cameras made some curious remarks during a press conference on Wednesday where officials updated the public on the investigation into a car attack in New Orleans that left 15 people dead.
John Kennedy, appearing alongside law enforcement officials and the state of Louisiana’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry, used the opportunity to take shots at reporters and outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In one widely-circulated clip, the senator is seen questioning several reporters in the room to determine which outlets they worked for. Then, a woman informs him that reporters for NBC News were to his right.
The senator couldn’t resist a shot at the network and its politics: “That’s an unusual position”. His comment drew chuckles from a few people in the room, and a confused reply from a woman off camera: “I don’t get it.”. “You wouldn’t,” he snidely told the reporter.
The senator’s comments about federal support — which by all reports is underway — were dripping with contempt. Kennedy said he’d spoken to Mayorkas, telling reporters: “I did talk to the Secretary of Homeland Security a little while ago, and I told him that, with all the respect I could muster, that we expect [him] to put the full force and resources of the federal government behind this investigation.”.
