Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), aged 73, experienced a notable pause during a live interview on Fox Business with Larry Kudlow on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The incident occurred as the Senator was discussing the Trump administration's approach to sanctuary cities, where he appeared to freeze mid-sentence for approximately seven seconds.
The moment was captured and widely shared, with journalist Paul McLeod noting on social media, > "Well this is jarring. John Kennedy (R-LA) is midway through a quip he's delivered a thousand times ('Jesus loves him but everyone else thinks he's an idiot') and completely freezes up mid-sentence." The Senator had begun to say, "Everybody else thinks... Everybody else...", before trailing off and licking his lips in silence.
Fox Business host Larry Kudlow quickly intervened, attributing the unexpected silence to a "technical issue" with the microphone. Kudlow suggested that the "same mic" had caused problems in a previous interview with Senator Rand Paul, attempting to explain away the on-air disruption.
The incident comes amidst heightened scrutiny regarding the health and age of public officials, following similar instances involving other prominent politicians. While Senator Kennedy, at 73, is not among the oldest members of the Senate, such occurrences have drawn public attention to the physical demands of high-profile political roles.
Senator Kennedy is widely recognized for his distinctive Southern drawl and often employs acerbic commentary during hearings and interviews. His office's official social media accounts posted updates after the interview, but did not directly address the on-air freeze.