Senator mocked for demanding Obama cancel his birthday altogether

‘I’ve never seen something so irresponsible, he knows better,’ Senator John Kennedy says

US Senator John Kennedy, a Republican of Louisiana, has called on President Barack Obama to cancel his 60th birthday celebration altogether – a suggestion that has sparked criticism online.

This suggestion came when Mr Kennedy was asked about the recent birthday controversy on Fox News on Wednesday morning. The senator claimed Mr Obama’s birthday party was the “biggest thing” getting in the way of the American public understanding the severity of the highly contagious Delta variant.

“The single biggest thing that has undermined our efforts in making the American people understand we’re in a fourth wave is President Obama’s decision to hold a birthday bash with 400 people,” Mr Kenendy said.

“I’ve never seen something so irresponsible, he knows better. He needs to cancel it and have a beer and personal pan pizza at home with his wife,” the senator added.

Fox News host Bill Hemmer informed Mr Kennedy of the latest news regarding Mr Obama’s birthday plans.

Initially, hundreds of celebrities, politicians, friends, and family were expected to attend the former president’s birthday party at his Martha’s Vineyard home off the Massachusetts coast.

Guests were told they would have to provide a negative Covid-19 test to attend, but it still sparked backlash among the public given the current surge of infection rates due to the Delta variant.

The event has since been significantly scaled back.

“This outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with Covid safeguards in place,” Mr Obama’s spokesperson Hannah Hankins said in a statement. “Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends.”

Mr Kennedy was told on Fox News about the latest decision for the party, which was scheduled this weekend. But it didn’t satisfy the senator.

“Well he needs to cancel it. Scaling it back won’t get it,” Mr Kennedy said.

Commenters online were critical of the statements from the senator given he has not publicly condemned former President Donald Trump for any of his recent political rallies.

“So, Sen John Kennedy will now be demanding Trump cancel rallies! Right?” one commenter questioned.

Mr Trump was scheduled to attend a rally in Alabama on 21 August. The former president has not given any indication about cancelling the rally amid the infection surge.

Another person shared an October 2020 CNBC article that credited Trump campaign rallies to more than 30,000 new coronavirus cases.

“No one tell him about CPAC, the rolling Trump rallies, the Turning Point events,  the Gaetz and Taylor Greene roadshow… because he’d be pissed! Right? Funny that the party that downplays COVID and says we have to learn to live with it is happy to play it up when convenient,” a commenter wrote, recalling past crowded events held by members of the Republican Party.

Mr Kennedy has not called any of the above events “irresponsible” publicly during the coronavirus pandemic.