Footage of Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has surfaced on social media, showing him grilling a “political extremist” climate activist who had called for Americans to ditch home ownership. Professor Benjamin Keys had previously posted a provocative opinion piece in the New York Times titled “Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Homeownership.”
Calling out the essay in front of Congress, Kennedy said, “I mean, I see this essay that you wrote in the New York Times, appropriate New York Times, climate change should make you think home ownership. Did you write that?” The professor confirmed, “Yes, I did, senator.” Kennedy continued, “Pretty bold, you own a home?” He replied, “I do in a flood zone.”
“Have you sold it?” Kennedy asked, seeking to determine if Keys would follow his own advice. Have I sold my home? … I live in my home, sir.” The senator then pointed out, “Oh, well, you’re telling everybody else to sell theirs. You’re a climate extremist, aren’t you professor?” He answered, “Certainly not, senator.” Kennedy further inquired, “You are a political extremist, aren’t you?” to which Keys denied.
Kennedy proceeded to grill Keys on alleged social media posts he had made. “On July 9, of 2024, did you tweet the following quote, honestly, the biggest long term political problem the Democrats have is that they don’t know how to talk to low information morons. Close quote,” the Louisiana Republican said. Keys denied that those were his “words,” before Kennedy displayed them.
Calling out another supposed tweet from Keys, Kennedy read, “A big part of modern right wing culture is this frisson of the illicit the reading of this or that writer or account that are outré in whatever ways, fascists, race, IQ obsesses, Holocaust denial, adjacent people with very weird sexual fixations and pathologies, they turn into their own philosophy, etc, a lot of them, and I think this is true of Vance and definitely true of the creepy Silicon Valley mega weirdos have simply pickled their brains. End quote.” Keys similarly denied that he wrote those words.
During another portion of the hearing, Kennedy touted scientific findings that allegedly disagree with Keys’ agenda. “I told you that methanethiol is a sulfur based aerosol gas kind of smells like rotten cabbage that is produced by microscopic plankton and all of our oceans, which cover 75% of the Earth’s surface. Would you have reason to disagree with me? I certainly wouldn’t, Senator. I’m here to talk about insurance,” he said.
Kennedy continued, “If I told you that this methane ethanol is an aerosol which escapes into our environment. It oxidizes and produces particles that substantially reflect the sun’s radiation and heat and prevents climate change. Would you have a reason to disagree with me?” The professor replied, ” I wouldn’t, Senator. I’m here to talk about the insurance crisis.” Refusing to back down, Kennedy asserted, ” I know you don’t want to talk about things that that undermine your confident assertions. ”
Watch Kennedy Grill Keys during the December 18 congressional hearing below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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