Southwest Airlines said Sunday an internal investigation is underway after one of its pilots chanted “Let’s Go, Brandon” for passengers over the plane’s intercom last week.
The pilot reportedly offered the anti-Joe Biden “Let’s Go, Brandon” salutation as he signed off on a flight from Houston, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico, prompting “audible gasps from some passengers,” as Breitbart News reported.
Southwest Airlines later denounced the comment as “offensive” and an insult to the sensitivities of its passengers.
“Southwest 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 airline said.
Now the carrier has gone a step further, declaring in a statement on social media it would “address the situation directly with any Employee involved while continuing to remind all Employees that public expression of personal opinions while on duty is unacceptable.”
We know many of you have heard about recent statements that may have been made on a Southwest flight, and we wanted you to hear directly from us. pic.twitter.com/CYh0MugYxd
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) October 31, 2021
The statement went on to add “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 “Let’s Go, Brandon” meme began last month when NBC Sports reporter Kellie Stavast claimed to have misheard the crowd chanting “F**k Joe Biden” when NASCAR driver Brandon Brown scored his first Xfinity Series win at the Talladega Speedway.
Since then, the chant has become a vulgar-free way of expressing disdain for the 46th President of the United States.
For its part, the Biden White House has denied ever hearing the chant, claiming it stems from right-wing extremists on 8chan in the hope the meme will go away.
“I had never heard of that chant until you explained it to me,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates told WaPo. “I guess I’m not spending enough time on 8chan or whatever.”
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