Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of the conservative magazine National Review, found himself at the center of controversy following his appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show. During the Sunday broadcast, Lowry discussed claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, and appeared to stumble over his words.
In the clip, which quickly gained traction on social media, Lowry stated, “They’ve only found two Springfield residents calling to complain about Haitian migrants taking geese from ponds.” However, some social media users suggested that before correcting himself, Lowry seemed to use a slur instead of the word “migrants.” Host Megyn Kelly did not appear to react to the verbal stumble during the live show.
One of the most notable reactions came from X user @peltzmadeline, who shared the clip, remarking, “Having a hard time coming to any conclusion besides the obvious one about what Rich Lowry catches himself blurting out here.”
Lowry’s colleagues quickly came to his defense. Andrew McCarthy, also of National Review, responded to the post saying, “Ridiculous. @richlowry (not tagged here, natch) obviously got crossed up between ‘immigrants’ (short i) and migrants (long i) — started mispronouncing ‘migrants’ with short i; instantly corrected himself with no embarrassment because it was patently a mispronunciation. Geez.”
Rich Lowry also addressed the controversy, agreeing with McCarthy’s explanation: “I began to mispronounce the word ‘migrants’ and caught myself halfway through.”
Megyn Kelly herself weighed in, defending Lowry’s character on X: “This is so disgusting and obviously leveled by someone that doesn’t know @RichLowry at all. A finer, more gracious man of good character you will never meet.”
The incident comes amidst a tense political climate regarding Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. The discussion has been fueled recently by former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of baseless conspiracy theories, including claims that some migrants have been caught eating pets.
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