Another Republican senator has raised alarm after a strange on-air moment that played out live on Fox Business.
Senator John Kennedy, 73, of Louisiana, appeared to freeze mid-sentence during a sit-down Tuesday with host Larry Kudlow, 77.
The two were discussing sanctuary cities and the Trump administration’s immigration policies when Kennedy began to make a point about religion.
“Jesus loves them, but everybody else thinks,” Kennedy said, before trailing off. Then—silence.
He mumbled a few unintelligible words, then stopped speaking altogether. Kennedy sat still, eyes open, silent for seven full seconds on camera.
Kudlow quickly jumped in, blaming it on a glitch: “I guess we had some more technical problems. That was the same mic we lost with Senator Rand Paul.”
Kennedy did not speak again during the segment.
His office has not responded to questions about the incident.
This isn’t the first time a top Senate Republican has suddenly gone silent in public. In 2023, Mitch McConnell, then the Senate’s top Republican, froze twice during press events. At the time, Capitol doctors claimed there was “no evidence” of a stroke or seizure, despite concern from viewers and neurologists.
Kennedy was one of McConnell’s fiercest defenders. He brushed off talk of McConnell stepping aside, saying that would only happen “when donkeys fly.”
McConnell later announced he won’t run again in 2026.
Kennedy, known for his sharp tongue and thick Southern drawl, hasn’t said whether he plans to run for another term in 2028. He passed on a bid for Louisiana governor last year.
Age and health are becoming political flashpoints in both parties. Democrats have faced heat over President Joe Biden’s fitness, while former President Trump was recently diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.
Kennedy, though not among the 10 oldest in the Senate, has now joined a growing list of lawmakers whose public moments are raising serious questions.
Watch the moment below.
Sen. John Kennedy appears to freeze during interview with Fox Business' Larry Kudlow pic.twitter.com/nVKMirQ729
— SourceWire (@Source_Wire) July 22, 2025
