
The 8 Best Media Meltdowns Over Southwest Airlines’ ‘Let’s Go, Brandon’ Controversy
A Southwest Airlines pilot reportedly said “Let’s go, Brandon,” over an airplane intercom Friday, and at least one journalist literally rushed the cockpit.
SO WHAT
The mainstream media is melting down.
THE CONTROVERSY
The pilot of a Friday morning Southwest flight from Houston to Albuquerque ended his greeting over the public address system with the phrase, an inside joke on the right inspired by a NASCAR broadcast last month, according to an Associated Press reporter on board.
Also in defense of airline I was asking them to open locked cock pit and probably sounded insane!
— Colleen Long (@ctlong1) October 30, 2021
The AP reporter, Colleen Long, reported Sunday that some passengers reacted with “audible gasps” to the quip by the unnamed pilot.
- Long admitted on Twitter that she had stormed the cockpit in pursuit of comment from the pilot, and “probably sounded insane.”
Southwest Airlines apologized to customers for the incident and said it was launching an internal investigation.
- “Southwest does not condone Employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job serving our Customers, and one Employee’s individual perspective should not be interpreted as the viewpoint of Southwest and its collective 54,000 Employees,” the airline said in a statement Sunday.
THE MELTDOWNS
Before and after Southwest’s announcement, over-the-top responses emanated from the left on Twitter, with several members of the media helping to set the tone.
CNN contributor Tristan Snell sent out “literally Hitler” vibes.
“Let’s Go Brandon” has become the MAGA version of “Sieg Heil.”
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) October 31, 2021
CNN analyst Asha Rangappa likened the pilot’s remarks to a profession of support for the Islamic State terrorist group.
As an experiment, I’d love for an @SouthwestAir pilot to say “Long live ISIS” before taking off. My guess is that 1) the plane would be immediately grounded; 2) the pilot fired; and 3) a statement issued by the airline within a matter of hours
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) October 31, 2021
HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Date accused the pilot of abiding the “overthrow of American democracy.”
Donald Trump tried to overthrow American democracy and at least one Southwest Airlines pilot thinks that’s just fine. https://t.co/zSuSGsdlA8
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) October 31, 2021
CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart suspected a nefarious conspiracy involving Southwest pilots.
The fact that @SouthwestAir has not moved faster with their Brandon pilot indicates a much broader problem. My guess is many if not most of their pilots are totally ok with it and the airline is afraid the pilots will walk. Let that sink in.
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) October 31, 2021
Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch declared he would never fly Southwest again.
Hey Thanks Comrade Ron! I can now safely say I will never ever fly Southwest again, and as far as the Freedom Flyers nickname – what a bunch of crybaby whining losers. I am more inclined to call them Fascism Flyers. https://t.co/oLHslkEJ8j
— Jan. 6 was a terrorist attack. Full Stop. (@cathysm32176) October 31, 2021
Education commentator Sari Beth Rosenberg condemned the “Let’s Go, Brandon” meme as a “fascist rallying cry.”
Let’s Go Brandon is the new fascist rallying cry & also yet another example of how MAGAs are just so cringey, lame & unintelligent with every single thing they do. 🤡
— Sari Beth Rosenberg (@saribethrose) October 31, 2021
Progressive journalist Aaron Rupar suggested Fox News was complicit.
The pilot used a plane's public address system to tell passengers "let's go Brandon," which is MAGA code for "fuck Joe Biden." Fox News dubs this a "joke." pic.twitter.com/9XcynLvycm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 1, 2021
Hollywood director Peter Ramsey argued this was nothing like liberal activism on the job.
Big difference between being trapped on a plane flown by someone endorsing imaginary right wing 7th grade level bullshit and someone taking a knee to raise awareness about innocent people being shot.
— Peter Ramsey (@pramsey342) October 31, 2021
Off Twitter, National Public Radio called the slogan “vulgar.”
- CNN’s Edward-Issac Dovere said it was “an inside joke telling the president of the United States to perform a sexual act on himself.”
- On CNN’s “New Day,” anchor John Avalon deemed it “trollish” and “not patriotic.”
- Washington Post reporters Ashley Parker and Carissa Wolf wrote about anti-Biden “vitriol” a report headlined “Biden’s critics hurl increasingly vulgar taunts.”
- On CNN’s “New Day,” John Avalon deemed it “trollish” and “not patriotic.”
Meanwhile, conservative commentators mocked the hysteria on the left, with Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro suggesting the mainstream media feared losing control of the narrative.
The media panic over "Let's Go, Brandon!" underscores a simple fact: Biden's popularity may be the only thing standing between Democrats and ruin. Their agenda is unpopular. Waiting in the wings is an unpopular VP. If people really dislike Biden, they've got serious problems.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) November 1, 2021
Dissident liberal journalist Matt Taibbi and others contrasted the media’s condemnations of “Let’s Go, Brandon” with its promotion of crass rhetoric against Donald Trump during his presidency.
Part of the joke of “Let’s Go Brandon,” of course, is that you couldn’t go five minutes during the last administration without hearing someone in pearls or a bowtie screaming “Fuck Trump”: https://t.co/o4HmaUss8p
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) October 31, 2021