Southwest under fire after video surfaces purportedly showing pilot saying 'Let's go Brandon'
Several offended social media users vowed to stop flying Southwest unless action is taken
Social media users took to their keyboards Saturday to react to a newly surfaced video that purportedly shows a Southwest Airlines pilot concluding an announcement to passengers by saying "Let's go Brandon" over the plane's intercom system.
It happened Friday morning on a Southwest flight from Houston to Albuquerque, according to an Associated Press journalist who said she was on the flight.
A Southwest Airlines employee helps a passenger to check in at a counter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Oct. 11, 2021 in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Until and unless @SouthwestAir fires its #LetsGoBrandon pilot I will never fly on that airline," wrote actor/filmmaker Andy Ostroy.
"The news coverage of the 'Let's Go Brandon' chant being repeated by a Southwest Airlines pilot brings to mind other Trumpian things that are permeating regular life," author Sarah Posner wrote in a tweet.
"Vulgarity stand-in from @SouthwestAir cockpit," wrote Washington Post editor Cathleen Decker, who linked to reporting from the AP.
A Southwest Airlines plane takes off for flight. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee / AP Images)
Will Bunch, an opinion columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, mocked Southwest in a tweet:
YouTube personality Jim Heath claimed that Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly "has officially made @SouthwestAir the Trumpy airline."
"Its pilots now giving the 'f*ck you Biden' or 'let's go Brandon' GOP line during the flight," Heath added. "I've always loved flying Southwest. Don't plan on doing it ever again."
Southwest Airlines pilots perform a check in a 737 aircraft before a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart / Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News, Southwest Airlines said it "takes pride in providing a welcoming, comfortable, and respectful environment for the millions of Customers who fly with the airline each year and behavior from any individual that is divisive or offensive will not be tolerated."
The phrase "Let's go Brandon" went viral after an interview earlier this month with race car driver Brandon Brown following his victory in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. In a post-race interview, chants of "F--- Joe Biden" could be heard from the crowd. But the reporter interviewing Brown reported that the crowd was chanting "Let's go Brandon."