Highlights

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) stopped talking for seven seconds during a Fox Business interview on Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Kennedy says an earpiece malfunction caused "loud screeching noise" that "sounded like a 747 taking off"
The 73-year-old senator was discussing sanctuary cities when he began his usual phrase "Jesus loves them, but everybody else thinks" before going silent
Host Larry Kudlow blamed "technical problems" and said the same issue happened with Senator Rand Paul
Kennedy accused The Daily Beast of poor reporting for not contacting Kudlow's producer

Senator Kennedy Explains Fox Business 'Freeze': Earpiece Malfunctioned

Louisiana senator disputes health scare reports, says technical problems caused seven-second silence

WASHINGTON D.C. (KPEL News) — Senator John Kennedy is firing back at news reports suggesting he had a health episode during his Fox Business interview Tuesday. The Louisiana Republican says a broken earpiece, not a medical issue, caused him to stop talking for seven seconds.

Kennedy went silent mid-sentence while discussing sanctuary cities with host Larry Kudlow on July 22, 2025. The Daily Beast and other outlets immediately reported the incident as a potential health scare.

What Viewers Saw

Kennedy was making a point about immigration when he started one of his standard lines: "Jesus loves them, but everybody else thinks." According to journalist Paul McLeod, Kennedy uses this phrase regularly - the full version being "Jesus loves him, but everyone else thinks he's an idiot."

Instead of finishing the sentence, Kennedy stopped talking completely. Video shows him licking his lips and looking confused before the camera cuts away from him.

Kudlow jumped in: "I guess we had some more technical problems. That was the same mic we lost with Senator Rand Paul." Kennedy never spoke again during the segment.

Kennedy's Response

Kennedy released a statement Wednesday challenging those reports:

"The Daily Beast is wrong. Yesterday, during my interview with Larry Kudlow on Fox Business, there was a malfunction in my earpiece. I heard a loud screeching noise with a lot of static. It sounded like a 747 taking off. The same thing happened with Rand Paul, who was interviewed before me. I stopped talking until the interference cleared up, and thought we were off the air. Once I could hear Kudlow, I started talking again. All you have to do to get the facts is call Kudlow's producer, which the Daily Beast intern clearly didn't do."

Comparison to McConnell

The episode reminded many of Mitch McConnell's freezing incidents in 2023. McConnell, then Senate Majority Leader, froze twice during public appearances. Doctors found no evidence of stroke or seizure.

Kennedy defended McConnell at the time, saying he would only step down "when donkeys fly."

Immediate Aftermath

Kennedy's office didn't respond to reporters' questions Tuesday night. His Twitter account stayed active after the interview, posting criticism of a Palestinian activist and congratulations to a retiring Saints player.

Kennedy's statement specifically targets The Daily Beast's reporting process. He suggests the publication should have contacted Fox Business producers before writing about a health scare.

Kennedy's Political Status

The 73-year-old senator hasn't said whether he'll run for reelection in 2028, and he skipped the 2023 Louisiana governor's race. As far as age goes, Kennedy ranks well outside the Senate's ten oldest members - Iowa's Chuck Grassley leads that list at 91.

Kennedy built his reputation on sharp Southern wit and memorable one-liners during committee hearings. This technical glitch temporarily silenced one of the Senate's most quotable members.