Appearing on an episode of “The Right Chicks” on New Orleans talk radio channel WGSO 990, right-wing Independent Gary Landrieu used profanity to respond to abuse from a caller, who compared himself to the candidate saying “I’m a piece of s*** like Gary Landrieu.”
While hosts Mimi Owens and Michelle Hirstius protested the caller’s foul language, Landrieu appeared to remain calm, saying, “You know what growing up in a family of 10 means? You can’t hurt my feelings, ‘cause I don’t have any.”
The candidate continued, recalling childhood bullying. “Let me tell you, when I was a kid we learned about protecting ourselves and defending ourselves ‘cause we were called a lot of ugly names as children.” He went on recounting how, when he was 8 years old, people referred to him and his family saying, “Oh, there’s the [n-word]-lovers right there.”
Landrieu comes from a long line of Southern Democrat politicians that includes former New Orleans mayors Moon Landrieu and his son Mitch Landrieu, who received national attention for his controversial decision to remove Confederate statues from the city in 2017.
The younger Landrieu has made a clear break with that legacy in his current campaign for governor, running on a platform that combines support for key Trump administration policies––including aggressive policing of undocumented immigrants, lower taxes, and “new Las Vegas style” job creation––with Louisiana-specific issues like fighting coastal erosion.
While other Landrieu family politicians have made a point of fighting racism in Louisiana (Moon Landrieu oversaw desegregation of New Orleans city government in the early 70s), The younger Landrieu’s Go Gary Governor campaign website claims that “illegals…bring Smallpox, Scabies, Hepatitis, and a wide ranging host of other airborne diseases” to the United States.
In response to groans for Hirstius and Owens over his use of the racist epithet, Landrieu asked the hosts, “I’m sorry, I can’t say that?” with an air of genuine puzzlement.
“No!” Hirstius and Owens replied in unison.
Earlier in the interview Landrieu appeared to echo the language of President Trump when he said, “You’re entitled to your opinion, that’s what makes America great. You’re free to do what you want and say what you want and think what you want. But you know what? I’m free to do and say what I want too.”
Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards, the incumbent, is currently beating all challengers in poll numbers. The election will take place on October 12.
