Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, erstwhile Republican presidential candidate, current talk show host, and amateur joke-teller, was stuck on an American Airlines flight at Nashville International Airport on Thursday morning.
Tweeting from the plane, Huckabee noted that his red-eye flight from Los Angeles had been “quarantined” after passengers were told “someone on board is sick.” Forgetting to be charitable toward the ailing person, Huckabee began making jokes, blaming the inconvenience on current events. “It’s the Russians!” Huckabee tweeted. “I just know it.”
(Of course, this wasn’t the first time that Huckabee blamed an unpleasant situation on “Russian meddling,” making light of a foreign government interfering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election.)
When medical personnel arrived, sirens blaring, Huckabee “joked”: “Hope it’s not because I got that straw in CA!” in a bid to never miss an opportunity to jab at environmental groups working to stop plastic straws from polluting the ocean.
5 hr red eye flight on @AmericanAir Nashville from LA. On ground for 40 min and now told someone on board is sick & we are being towed to other gate and quarantined until all checked out. Can’t get up to go to bathroom or get off plane. It’s the Russians! I just know it!
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) August 16, 2018
1 hr after landing got to far away gate where @AmericanAir will hopefully get us off this plane! Medical personal at gate. Hope it’s not because I got that straw in CA! pic.twitter.com/g5AJvacyqE
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) August 16, 2018
Two and a half hours later, the governor seemed to realize that mocking someone in the middle of a medical emergency wasn’t a great look. He returned to Twitter to add that he “seriously” hoped “the lady is okay.” Good save, governor.
Kudos to @AmericanAir pilot and crew-handled medical issue on red eye from LAX to Nashville very professionally. We were held for a while as medical personnel made sure the person wasn't Gwyneth Paltrow from Contagion. Seriously, hope the lady is okay–taken on gurney.
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) August 16, 2018
As for what actually happened, The Tennessean reports that the plane was held after a passenger mentioned feeling ill, but had been “medically cleared by a physician prior to the flight,” despite leaving a doctor’s note at home. Passengers were alarmed by the news and “became worried of exposure.” The flight was held until the doctor could confirm the passenger was no longer contagious.
No word on whether Huckabee has a note from his doctor for lack of heart.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the final deadline, June 7.
Sign up for Brands That Matter notifications here.
