🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa110)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/us/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/us/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html","crawl_time":1771512780,"first_indexed_time":1635725696,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"What Does ‘Let’s go Brandon’ Mean? Explaining the Biden Insult. - The New York Times","meta_descriptions":["His remarks went viral after he repeated the chant, which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Advertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\nHis remarks went viral after he repeated the chant, which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight.\nSouthwest Airlines issued an apology on Sunday after a reporter aboard a flight said the pilot had uttered the phrase, an insult to President Biden, over the intercom.  \nCredit...\nStefani Reynolds for The New York Times\nOct. 31, 2021\nIt began as a chant at a NASCAR race. It became an inside joke among many Republicans that spread to T-shirts and even to the floor of Congress. And now it has entangled Southwest Airlines in the nation’s political tussles.\nThe phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, was uttered over the intercom by a Southwest pilot during a flight on Friday, a reporter for The Associated Press wrote in\nan article\nabout the spread of the phrase. The reporter, Colleen Long, who was on that flight, added that it prompted “audible gasps from some passengers.”\nAs word of the remark spread on social media, many threatened to boycott the airline. Others pledged their support to Southwest because of the pilot’s remark. Southwest Airlines apologized to customers on Sunday and said that it was conducting an internal investigation.\n“Southwest does not condone employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job,” the company said in a statement emailed to The New York Times. The airline would not say if the pilot had been suspended for making the remark, adding that it does not comment on an employee’s status.\nThe viral moment began in early October at a NASCAR race in Alabama that was broadcast on NBC. As a crowd appeared to be cheering on the driver Brandon Brown, an NBC reporter interviewing Mr. Brown suggested that people were chanting “Let’s go, Brandon,” but it became clear that they were actually saying a four-letter expletive and then “Joe Biden.”\nSince then, the phrase has exploded in popularity: Lawmakers, musicians and former President Trump’s campaign PAC all have used it with a joking tone.\nGov. Greg Abbott of Texas said the phrase on Twitter on Oct. 22. Representative Bill Posey, Republican of Florida,\nsaid it on the House floor\nduring a speech criticizing the Biden administration.\nLet's Go Brandon!\nFrom the record levels of inflation to the crisis at our southern border, Americans are fed up with Biden's dangerous, liberal policies.\npic.twitter.com\/9ALkW1WFeg\n— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX)\nOctober 22, 2021\nBillboard reported that the artist Loza Alexander made its\nHot 100\nchart for the week of Oct. 30 with a song titled “Let’s Go Brandon.”\nBut others, including many Democrats, do not find the phrase funny. Twitter users who called for a boycott of Southwest said the airline should punish the pilot.\nPolitical viral moments have become increasingly common in the digital age. During the 2020 election, a Trump campaign news conference held in the parking lot of a landscaping company inspired bumper stickers, memes, a\ndocumentary\nand\neven a charity run\n.\nKaren North, a professor of digital media at the University of Southern California, who worked for the Clinton administration, said that a moment like the “Brandon” phrase “has the fun of being an inside joke or meme and the power of being a rallying cry at the same time.”\nBut these moments seem to have an ever-shorter shelf life, Ms. North said. “Because new trends and memes spread so much more quickly,” she added, “people have something new to jump to more quickly.”\nA version of this article appears in print on\nNov. 1, 2021\n, Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Airline Contrite After a Pilot Mocks Biden\n.\nOrder Reprints\n|\nToday’s Paper\n|\nSubscribe\nRelated Content\nMore in U.S.\nEric Lee for The New York Times\nMatthew Leifheit for The New York Times\nImage by New York Police Department\nEditors’ Picks\nApple Corps\nJ.D. Biersdorfer\nTrending in The Times\nHunter French\nDavid Barnum Photography\nTheodore Tae\/The New York Times\nCassidy Araiza for The New York Times\nDavid Gray\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nThe New York Times\nNew York Police Department\nDoug Mills\/The New York Times\nVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam; Vincent van Gogh Foundation\nAdvertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#site-index)\n\nSearch & Section Navigation\n\nSection Navigation\n\nSearch\n\n[U.S.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/us)\n\n[Log in](https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2021%252F10%252F31%252Fus%252Flets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html&asset=masthead)\n\nThursday, February 19, 2026\n\n[Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper)\n\nTrump Administration\n\n- live[Updates](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2026\/02\/19\/us\/trump-news)\n  \n  Feb. 19, 2026, 9:48 a.m. ET4m ago\n- [Diplomacy Without Diplomats](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us\/politics\/trump-witkoff-kushner-diplomacy.html)\n- [Homeland Security Funding](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us\/politics\/trump-dhs-shutdown-democrats.html)\n- [Climate Regulation](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/climate\/epa-endangerment-finding-lawsuit.html)\n- [Epstein Files](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2026\/us\/epstein-files-names-fired-resigned-fallout.html)\n- [Approval Rating](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/donald-trump-approval-rating-polls.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#after-top)\n\nSupported by\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#after-sponsor)\n# Why a Pilot Is Under Investigation for Saying ‘Let’s Go Brandon’\nHis remarks went viral after he repeated the chant, which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight.\n\n- Share full article\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/11\/01\/us\/01brandon-1\/01brandon-1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nSouthwest Airlines issued an apology on Sunday after a reporter aboard a flight said the pilot had uttered the phrase, an insult to President Biden, over the intercom. Credit...Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times\n\n[![Melina Delkic](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/02\/05\/multimedia\/author-melina-delkic\/author-melina-delkic-thumbLarge.png)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/melina-delkic)\n\nBy [Melina Delkic](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/melina-delkic)\n\nOct. 31, 2021\n\nIt began as a chant at a NASCAR race. It became an inside joke among many Republicans that spread to T-shirts and even to the floor of Congress. And now it has entangled Southwest Airlines in the nation’s political tussles.\n\nThe phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, was uttered over the intercom by a Southwest pilot during a flight on Friday, a reporter for The Associated Press wrote in [an article](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lets-go-brandon-what-does-it-mean-republicans-joe-biden-ab13db212067928455a3dba07756a160) about the spread of the phrase. The reporter, Colleen Long, who was on that flight, added that it prompted “audible gasps from some passengers.”\n\nAs word of the remark spread on social media, many threatened to boycott the airline. Others pledged their support to Southwest because of the pilot’s remark. Southwest Airlines apologized to customers on Sunday and said that it was conducting an internal investigation.\n\n“Southwest does not condone employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job,” the company said in a statement emailed to The New York Times. The airline would not say if the pilot had been suspended for making the remark, adding that it does not comment on an employee’s status.\n\nThe viral moment began in early October at a NASCAR race in Alabama that was broadcast on NBC. As a crowd appeared to be cheering on the driver Brandon Brown, an NBC reporter interviewing Mr. Brown suggested that people were chanting “Let’s go, Brandon,” but it became clear that they were actually saying a four-letter expletive and then “Joe Biden.”\n\nSince then, the phrase has exploded in popularity: Lawmakers, musicians and former President Trump’s campaign PAC all have used it with a joking tone.\n\nGov. Greg Abbott of Texas said the phrase on Twitter on Oct. 22. Representative Bill Posey, Republican of Florida, [said it on the House floor](https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?c4983243\/user-clip-posey-lets-brandon) during a speech criticizing the Biden administration.\n\n> Let's Go Brandon\\!  \n>   \n> From the record levels of inflation to the crisis at our southern border, Americans are fed up with Biden's dangerous, liberal policies. [pic.twitter.com\/9ALkW1WFeg](https:\/\/t.co\/9ALkW1WFeg)\n> \n> — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott\\_TX) [October 22, 2021](https:\/\/twitter.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1451560820735885315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nBillboard reported that the artist Loza Alexander made its [Hot 100](https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/charts\/hot-100) chart for the week of Oct. 30 with a song titled “Let’s Go Brandon.”\n\nBut others, including many Democrats, do not find the phrase funny. Twitter users who called for a boycott of Southwest said the airline should punish the pilot.\n\n> This one’s easy. I’m not flying on [@SouthwestAir](https:\/\/twitter.com\/SouthwestAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) until the [\\#LetsGoBrandon](https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LetsGoBrandon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) pilot is fired.   \n>   \n> Who’s with me? ✋ <https:\/\/t.co\/SYEzsywKz9>\n> \n> — Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) [October 31, 2021](https:\/\/twitter.com\/joncoopertweets\/status\/1454797666936926218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nPolitical viral moments have become increasingly common in the digital age. During the 2020 election, a Trump campaign news conference held in the parking lot of a landscaping company inspired bumper stickers, memes, a [documentary](https:\/\/variety.com\/2021\/film\/news\/four-seasons-total-landscaping-documentary-msnbc-1235087970\/) and [even a charity run](https:\/\/philadelphia.cbslocal.com\/2021\/09\/22\/fraud-street-run-philadelphia-four-seasons-total-landscaping-donald-trump\/).\n\nKaren North, a professor of digital media at the University of Southern California, who worked for the Clinton administration, said that a moment like the “Brandon” phrase “has the fun of being an inside joke or meme and the power of being a rallying cry at the same time.”\n\nBut these moments seem to have an ever-shorter shelf life, Ms. North said. “Because new trends and memes spread so much more quickly,” she added, “people have something new to jump to more quickly.”\n\n[Melina Delkic](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/melina-delkic) writes the Asia Briefing newsletter.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on Nov. 1, 2021, Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Airline Contrite After a Pilot Mocks Biden. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\nSee more on: [Southwest Airlines Company](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/topic\/company\/southwest-airlines-company), [U.S. Politics](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/politics), [Republican Party](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/topic\/organization\/republican-party), [Joe Biden](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/joe-biden)\n\n- Share full article\n\n***\n## The Latest on the Trump Administration\n***\n- **Ties to Epstein:** Despite calls for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s resignation [after he acknowledged encounters with Jeffrey Epstein](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us\/politics\/trump-howard-lutnick-epstein.html) years after he said he had cut ties with the sex offender, the White House dismissed concerns about Lutnick’s credibility.\n- **Boat Strikes:** American forces blew up three boats, killing 11 in both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the military said, [raising the death toll in the U.S. campaign against people it accuses of drug smuggling](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us\/politics\/us-kills-11-in-boat-strikes.html) at sea to at least 144.\n- **Tricia McLaughlin:** The spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, [known for her forceful defense of the U.S. immigration agenda](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us\/politics\/tricia-mclaughlin-homeland-security.html), is said to be stepping down from the agency.\n- **Defense Department:** In an unusual move, one of the Pentagon’s most seasoned public affairs officials [was fired last week on the orders of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us\/politics\/hegseth-pentagon-spokesman-fired.html), according to officials.\n- **Stonewall National Monument:** A group of nonprofits filed a lawsuit [arguing that the Trump administration’s decision to remove the Pride flag](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/nyregion\/stonewall-pride-flag-lawsuit.html) from the Manhattan monument violated a law that allows national parks and monuments to fly Confederate flags.\n***\n**How We Report on the Trump Administration**\n\nHundreds of readers asked about our coverage of the president. Times editors and reporters [responded to some of the most common questions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/06\/insider\/how-the-new-york-times-reports-on-trump.html).\n\n## Related Content\n### [More in U.S.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/us)\n- [Texas Congressman’s Aide Told Co-Worker of Affair Before Killing Herself](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/us\/politics\/texas-gonzales-suicide-affair.html)\n  \n  ![Representative Tony Gonzales in Washington this month.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/18pol-gonzales-texas-1-qpzk\/18pol-gonzales-texas-1-qpzk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Eric Lee for The New York Times\n- [Why Is Trump Dumping East Wing Rubble in a Public Park?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/19\/us\/politics\/trump-east-wing-rubble-in-a-public-park.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/19\/arts\/golf-cover\/golf-cover-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n- [‘I’d Like to Be Normal’: Can Height Surgery Make Them Happy?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us\/height-surgery-limb-lengthening-men-health.html)\n  \n  ![After his surgery, Mr. Trinh kept a meticulous log of his recovery that he shared on a Discord server dedicated to limb-lengthening.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/12\/03\/multimedia\/17height-surgery-hp-promo-3\/17height-surgery-hp-promo-3-square640-v2.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Matthew Leifheit for The New York Times\n- [Bald Eagle, Marooned on Ice Chunk in Hudson, Is Rescued by Police](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/us\/bald-eagle-rescue-nyc-hudson-river.html)\n  \n  ![In this screenshot from a video released by the New York Police Department, a bald eagle is being rescued from the Hudson River.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/18xp-eagle\/18xp-eagle-square640.png?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Image by New York Police Department\n\n### Editors’ Picks\n- [Billy Preston’s Music Was ‘Pure Joy.’ But His Life Ended in Tragedy.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/arts\/music\/billy-preston-documentary-thats-the-way-god-planned-it.html)\n  \n  ![Billy Preston was known as a valued collaborator with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones before stepping out as an artist in his own right.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/19\/multimedia\/17PRESTON-DOC-lcmw\/17PRESTON-DOC-lcmw-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Apple Corps\n- [How to Watch Free Live Television on Your Phone or Tablet](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/technology\/personaltech\/free-live-tv-mobile-apps.html)\n  \n  ![Tubi, shown here on an iPad, is one of the many advertising-supported streaming apps that bring free live television programs to mobile devices.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/technology\/personaltech\/18BIZ-TECHTIP-TOPART\/18BIZ-TECHTIP-TOPART-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  J.D. 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An A-to-Z Guide to Storing Fruits and Vegetables](https:\/\/cooking.nytimes.com\/article\/fruits-vegetables-storage)\n  \n  ![Learning to keep your produce the right way can help save money and reduce food waste.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/25\/multimedia\/13FD-PRODUCE-STORAGE-topart-group-vertical-ghkt\/13FD-PRODUCE-STORAGE-topart-group-vertical-ghkt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n- [\\$450,000 Homes in Vermont, Georgia and Colorado](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/realestate\/jamaica-vermont-savannah-georgia-colorado-springs-home-sales.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/realestate\/18re-WYG-Jamaica\/18re-WYG-Jamaica-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  David Barnum Photography\n- [7 Moves to Improve Your Balance and Overall Strength](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/well\/move\/strength-training-exercises-balance-unilateral.html)\n  \n  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election.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07\/multimedia\/07nat-redistricting-countries-glfw\/07nat-redistricting-countries-glfw-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  David Gray\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n- [Winter Storms Could Bring 8 Feet of Snow to Parts of California](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/15\/weather\/sierra-nevada-storm-snow-california.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/01\/30\/us\/2024-01-26-atmospheric-river-embed-index\/2024-01-26-atmospheric-river-embed-index-square640-v228.jpeg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  The New York Times\n- [Officers Rescue Injured Bald Eagle on the Hudson River](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/video\/us\/100000010721046\/officers-rescue-injured-bald-eagle-on-the-hudson-river.html)\n  \n  ![In this screenshot from a video released by the New York Police Department, a bald eagle is being rescued from the Hudson River.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/18xp-eagle\/18xp-eagle-square640.png?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  New York Police Department\n- [The Olympic Toys That Are Almost as Tough to Get as a Medal](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/16\/world\/olympics\/tina-milo-winter-olympics-plush-toys.html)\n  \n  ![Tina, the Winter Olympics mascot, has been a hot commodity.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/13\/multimedia\/olympic-mascot-toys-01-hgjb\/olympic-mascot-toys-01-hgjb-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Doug Mills\/The New York Times\n- [Van Gogh and the Meaning of Yellow](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/19\/arts\/design\/van-gogh-museum-yellow.html)\n  \n  Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam; Vincent van Gogh Foundation\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#after-bottom)\n\n## Site Index\n[Go to Home 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swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2021\/11\/01\/us\/01brandon-1\/01brandon-1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nSouthwest Airlines issued an apology on Sunday after a reporter aboard a flight said the pilot had uttered the phrase, an insult to President Biden, over the intercom. Credit...Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times\n\nOct. 31, 2021\n\nIt began as a chant at a NASCAR race. It became an inside joke among many Republicans that spread to T-shirts and even to the floor of Congress. And now it has entangled Southwest Airlines in the nation’s political tussles.\n\nThe phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, was uttered over the intercom by a Southwest pilot during a flight on Friday, a reporter for The Associated Press wrote in [an article](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lets-go-brandon-what-does-it-mean-republicans-joe-biden-ab13db212067928455a3dba07756a160) about the spread of the phrase. The reporter, Colleen Long, who was on that flight, added that it prompted “audible gasps from some passengers.”\n\nAs word of the remark spread on social media, many threatened to boycott the airline. Others pledged their support to Southwest because of the pilot’s remark. Southwest Airlines apologized to customers on Sunday and said that it was conducting an internal investigation.\n\n“Southwest does not condone employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job,” the company said in a statement emailed to The New York Times. The airline would not say if the pilot had been suspended for making the remark, adding that it does not comment on an employee’s status.\n\nThe viral moment began in early October at a NASCAR race in Alabama that was broadcast on NBC. As a crowd appeared to be cheering on the driver Brandon Brown, an NBC reporter interviewing Mr. Brown suggested that people were chanting “Let’s go, Brandon,” but it became clear that they were actually saying a four-letter expletive and then “Joe Biden.”\n\nSince then, the phrase has exploded in popularity: Lawmakers, musicians and former President Trump’s campaign PAC all have used it with a joking tone.\n\nGov. Greg Abbott of Texas said the phrase on Twitter on Oct. 22. Representative Bill Posey, Republican of Florida, [said it on the House floor](https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?c4983243\/user-clip-posey-lets-brandon) during a speech criticizing the Biden administration.\n\n> Let's Go Brandon\\!\n> \n> From the record levels of inflation to the crisis at our southern border, Americans are fed up with Biden's dangerous, liberal policies. [pic.twitter.com\/9ALkW1WFeg](https:\/\/t.co\/9ALkW1WFeg)\n> \n> — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott\\_TX) [October 22, 2021](https:\/\/twitter.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1451560820735885315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nBillboard reported that the artist Loza Alexander made its [Hot 100](https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/charts\/hot-100) chart for the week of Oct. 30 with a song titled “Let’s Go Brandon.”\n\nBut others, including many Democrats, do not find the phrase funny. Twitter users who called for a boycott of Southwest said the airline should punish the pilot.\n\nPolitical viral moments have become increasingly common in the digital age. During the 2020 election, a Trump campaign news conference held in the parking lot of a landscaping company inspired bumper stickers, memes, a [documentary](https:\/\/variety.com\/2021\/film\/news\/four-seasons-total-landscaping-documentary-msnbc-1235087970\/) and [even a charity run](https:\/\/philadelphia.cbslocal.com\/2021\/09\/22\/fraud-street-run-philadelphia-four-seasons-total-landscaping-donald-trump\/).\n\nKaren North, a professor of digital media at the University of Southern California, who worked for the Clinton administration, said that a moment like the “Brandon” phrase “has the fun of being an inside joke or meme and the power of being a rallying cry at the same time.”\n\nBut these moments seem to have an ever-shorter shelf life, Ms. North said. “Because new trends and memes spread so much more quickly,” she added, “people have something new to jump to more quickly.”\n\nA version of this article appears in print on Nov. 1, 2021, Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Airline Contrite After a Pilot Mocks Biden. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\n## Related Content\n[More in U.S.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/us)\n\n- ![Representative Tony Gonzales in Washington this month.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/18pol-gonzales-texas-1-qpzk\/18pol-gonzales-texas-1-qpzk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Eric Lee for The New York Times\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/19\/arts\/golf-cover\/golf-cover-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n- ![After his surgery, Mr. Trinh kept a meticulous log of his recovery that he shared on a Discord server dedicated to limb-lengthening.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/12\/03\/multimedia\/17height-surgery-hp-promo-3\/17height-surgery-hp-promo-3-square640-v2.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Matthew Leifheit for The New York Times\n- ![In this screenshot from a video released by the New York Police Department, a bald eagle is being rescued from the Hudson River.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/18xp-eagle\/18xp-eagle-square640.png?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Image by New York Police Department\n\nEditors’ Picks\n\n- ![Billy Preston was known as a valued collaborator with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones before stepping out as an artist in his own right.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/19\/multimedia\/17PRESTON-DOC-lcmw\/17PRESTON-DOC-lcmw-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Apple Corps\n- ![Tubi, shown here on an iPad, is one of the many advertising-supported streaming apps that bring free live television programs to mobile devices.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/technology\/personaltech\/18BIZ-TECHTIP-TOPART\/18BIZ-TECHTIP-TOPART-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  J.D. Biersdorfer\n\nTrending in The Times\n\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/opinion\/18ballou\/18ballou-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Hunter French\n- ![Learning to keep your produce the right way can help save money and reduce food waste.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/25\/multimedia\/13FD-PRODUCE-STORAGE-topart-group-vertical-ghkt\/13FD-PRODUCE-STORAGE-topart-group-vertical-ghkt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/realestate\/18re-WYG-Jamaica\/18re-WYG-Jamaica-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  David Barnum Photography\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/well\/UNILATERAL-EXERCISES-ART-01\/UNILATERAL-EXERCISES-48223-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Theodore Tae\/The New York Times\n- ![Sheriff’s deputies at a scene in Rio Rico, Ariz., during a search related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/15\/multimedia\/15LIVE-GUTHRIE-HEADER-01-jbwf\/15LIVE-GUTHRIE-HEADER-01-jbwf-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times\n- ![A voter casts her ballot as others mark them at a pre-polling center in Sydney last year ahead of Australia’s federal election.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/07\/multimedia\/07nat-redistricting-countries-glfw\/07nat-redistricting-countries-glfw-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  David Gray\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/01\/30\/us\/2024-01-26-atmospheric-river-embed-index\/2024-01-26-atmospheric-river-embed-index-square640-v228.jpeg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  The New York Times\n- ![In this screenshot from a video released by the New York Police Department, a bald eagle is being rescued from the Hudson River.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/18xp-eagle\/18xp-eagle-square640.png?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  New York Police Department\n- ![Tina, the Winter Olympics mascot, has been a hot commodity.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/13\/multimedia\/olympic-mascot-toys-01-hgjb\/olympic-mascot-toys-01-hgjb-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Doug Mills\/The New York Times\n- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam; Vincent van Gogh Foundation\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/31\/us\/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#after-bottom)","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	What Does ‘Let’s go Brandon’ Mean? Explaining the Biden Insult. - The New York Times
Meta Description	His remarks went viral after he repeated the chant, which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight.
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Boilerpipe Text	Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT His remarks went viral after he repeated the chant, which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight. Southwest Airlines issued an apology on Sunday after a reporter aboard a flight said the pilot had uttered the phrase, an insult to President Biden, over the intercom. Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times Oct. 31, 2021 It began as a chant at a NASCAR race. It became an inside joke among many Republicans that spread to T-shirts and even to the floor of Congress. And now it has entangled Southwest Airlines in the nation’s political tussles. The phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, was uttered over the intercom by a Southwest pilot during a flight on Friday, a reporter for The Associated Press wrote in an article about the spread of the phrase. The reporter, Colleen Long, who was on that flight, added that it prompted “audible gasps from some passengers.” As word of the remark spread on social media, many threatened to boycott the airline. Others pledged their support to Southwest because of the pilot’s remark. Southwest Airlines apologized to customers on Sunday and said that it was conducting an internal investigation. “Southwest does not condone employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job,” the company said in a statement emailed to The New York Times. The airline would not say if the pilot had been suspended for making the remark, adding that it does not comment on an employee’s status. The viral moment began in early October at a NASCAR race in Alabama that was broadcast on NBC. As a crowd appeared to be cheering on the driver Brandon Brown, an NBC reporter interviewing Mr. Brown suggested that people were chanting “Let’s go, Brandon,” but it became clear that they were actually saying a four-letter expletive and then “Joe Biden.” Since then, the phrase has exploded in popularity: Lawmakers, musicians and former President Trump’s campaign PAC all have used it with a joking tone. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said the phrase on Twitter on Oct. 22. Representative Bill Posey, Republican of Florida, said it on the House floor during a speech criticizing the Biden administration. Let's Go Brandon! From the record levels of inflation to the crisis at our southern border, Americans are fed up with Biden's dangerous, liberal policies. pic.twitter.com/9ALkW1WFeg — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 22, 2021 Billboard reported that the artist Loza Alexander made its Hot 100 chart for the week of Oct. 30 with a song titled “Let’s Go Brandon.” But others, including many Democrats, do not find the phrase funny. Twitter users who called for a boycott of Southwest said the airline should punish the pilot. Political viral moments have become increasingly common in the digital age. During the 2020 election, a Trump campaign news conference held in the parking lot of a landscaping company inspired bumper stickers, memes, a documentary and even a charity run . Karen North, a professor of digital media at the University of Southern California, who worked for the Clinton administration, said that a moment like the “Brandon” phrase “has the fun of being an inside joke or meme and the power of being a rallying cry at the same time.” But these moments seem to have an ever-shorter shelf life, Ms. North said. “Because new trends and memes spread so much more quickly,” she added, “people have something new to jump to more quickly.” A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 1, 2021 , Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Airline Contrite After a Pilot Mocks Biden . Order Reprints \| Today’s Paper \| Subscribe Related Content More in U.S. Eric Lee for The New York Times Matthew Leifheit for The New York Times Image by New York Police Department Editors’ Picks Apple Corps J.D. Biersdorfer Trending in The Times Hunter French David Barnum Photography Theodore Tae/The New York Times Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The New York Times New York Police Department Doug Mills/The New York Times Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam; Vincent van Gogh Foundation Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/us/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/us/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#site-index) Search & Section Navigation Section Navigation Search [U.S.](https://www.nytimes.com/section/us) [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2021%252F10%252F31%252Fus%252Flets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html&asset=masthead) Thursday, February 19, 2026 [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) Trump Administration - live[Updates](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/19/us/trump-news) Feb. 19, 2026, 9:48 a.m. ET4m ago - [Diplomacy Without Diplomats](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/us/politics/trump-witkoff-kushner-diplomacy.html) - [Homeland Security Funding](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/us/politics/trump-dhs-shutdown-democrats.html) - [Climate Regulation](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/climate/epa-endangerment-finding-lawsuit.html) - [Epstein Files](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/epstein-files-names-fired-resigned-fallout.html) - [Approval Rating](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/donald-trump-approval-rating-polls.html) Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/us/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#after-top) Supported by [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/us/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#after-sponsor) # Why a Pilot Is Under Investigation for Saying ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ His remarks went viral after he repeated the chant, which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight. - Share full article ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/11/01/us/01brandon-1/01brandon-1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Southwest Airlines issued an apology on Sunday after a reporter aboard a flight said the pilot had uttered the phrase, an insult to President Biden, over the intercom. Credit...Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times [![Melina Delkic](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/02/05/multimedia/author-melina-delkic/author-melina-delkic-thumbLarge.png)](https://www.nytimes.com/by/melina-delkic) By [Melina Delkic](https://www.nytimes.com/by/melina-delkic) Oct. 31, 2021 It began as a chant at a NASCAR race. It became an inside joke among many Republicans that spread to T-shirts and even to the floor of Congress. And now it has entangled Southwest Airlines in the nation’s political tussles. The phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, was uttered over the intercom by a Southwest pilot during a flight on Friday, a reporter for The Associated Press wrote in [an article](https://apnews.com/article/lets-go-brandon-what-does-it-mean-republicans-joe-biden-ab13db212067928455a3dba07756a160) about the spread of the phrase. The reporter, Colleen Long, who was on that flight, added that it prompted “audible gasps from some passengers.” As word of the remark spread on social media, many threatened to boycott the airline. Others pledged their support to Southwest because of the pilot’s remark. Southwest Airlines apologized to customers on Sunday and said that it was conducting an internal investigation. “Southwest does not condone employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job,” the company said in a statement emailed to The New York Times. The airline would not say if the pilot had been suspended for making the remark, adding that it does not comment on an employee’s status. The viral moment began in early October at a NASCAR race in Alabama that was broadcast on NBC. As a crowd appeared to be cheering on the driver Brandon Brown, an NBC reporter interviewing Mr. Brown suggested that people were chanting “Let’s go, Brandon,” but it became clear that they were actually saying a four-letter expletive and then “Joe Biden.” Since then, the phrase has exploded in popularity: Lawmakers, musicians and former President Trump’s campaign PAC all have used it with a joking tone. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said the phrase on Twitter on Oct. 22. Representative Bill Posey, Republican of Florida, [said it on the House floor](https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4983243/user-clip-posey-lets-brandon) during a speech criticizing the Biden administration. > Let's Go Brandon\! > > From the record levels of inflation to the crisis at our southern border, Americans are fed up with Biden's dangerous, liberal policies. [pic.twitter.com/9ALkW1WFeg](https://t.co/9ALkW1WFeg) > > — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott\_TX) [October 22, 2021](https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1451560820735885315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Billboard reported that the artist Loza Alexander made its [Hot 100](https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100) chart for the week of Oct. 30 with a song titled “Let’s Go Brandon.” But others, including many Democrats, do not find the phrase funny. Twitter users who called for a boycott of Southwest said the airline should punish the pilot. > This one’s easy. I’m not flying on [@SouthwestAir](https://twitter.com/SouthwestAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) until the [\#LetsGoBrandon](https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoBrandon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) pilot is fired. > > Who’s with me? ✋ <https://t.co/SYEzsywKz9> > > — Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) [October 31, 2021](https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1454797666936926218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Political viral moments have become increasingly common in the digital age. During the 2020 election, a Trump campaign news conference held in the parking lot of a landscaping company inspired bumper stickers, memes, a [documentary](https://variety.com/2021/film/news/four-seasons-total-landscaping-documentary-msnbc-1235087970/) and [even a charity run](https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/09/22/fraud-street-run-philadelphia-four-seasons-total-landscaping-donald-trump/). Karen North, a professor of digital media at the University of Southern California, who worked for the Clinton administration, said that a moment like the “Brandon” phrase “has the fun of being an inside joke or meme and the power of being a rallying cry at the same time.” But these moments seem to have an ever-shorter shelf life, Ms. North said. “Because new trends and memes spread so much more quickly,” she added, “people have something new to jump to more quickly.” [Melina Delkic](https://www.nytimes.com/by/melina-delkic) writes the Asia Briefing newsletter. A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 1, 2021, Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Airline Contrite After a Pilot Mocks Biden. 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Readable Markdown	Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/us/lets-go-brandon-southwest-airlines.html#after-top) His remarks went viral after he repeated the chant, which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, during a Southwest Airlines flight. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/11/01/us/01brandon-1/01brandon-1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Southwest Airlines issued an apology on Sunday after a reporter aboard a flight said the pilot had uttered the phrase, an insult to President Biden, over the intercom. Credit...Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times Oct. 31, 2021 It began as a chant at a NASCAR race. It became an inside joke among many Republicans that spread to T-shirts and even to the floor of Congress. And now it has entangled Southwest Airlines in the nation’s political tussles. The phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” which is understood to be code for swearing at President Biden, was uttered over the intercom by a Southwest pilot during a flight on Friday, a reporter for The Associated Press wrote in [an article](https://apnews.com/article/lets-go-brandon-what-does-it-mean-republicans-joe-biden-ab13db212067928455a3dba07756a160) about the spread of the phrase. The reporter, Colleen Long, who was on that flight, added that it prompted “audible gasps from some passengers.” As word of the remark spread on social media, many threatened to boycott the airline. Others pledged their support to Southwest because of the pilot’s remark. Southwest Airlines apologized to customers on Sunday and said that it was conducting an internal investigation. “Southwest does not condone employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job,” the company said in a statement emailed to The New York Times. The airline would not say if the pilot had been suspended for making the remark, adding that it does not comment on an employee’s status. The viral moment began in early October at a NASCAR race in Alabama that was broadcast on NBC. As a crowd appeared to be cheering on the driver Brandon Brown, an NBC reporter interviewing Mr. Brown suggested that people were chanting “Let’s go, Brandon,” but it became clear that they were actually saying a four-letter expletive and then “Joe Biden.” Since then, the phrase has exploded in popularity: Lawmakers, musicians and former President Trump’s campaign PAC all have used it with a joking tone. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said the phrase on Twitter on Oct. 22. Representative Bill Posey, Republican of Florida, [said it on the House floor](https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4983243/user-clip-posey-lets-brandon) during a speech criticizing the Biden administration. > Let's Go Brandon\! > > From the record levels of inflation to the crisis at our southern border, Americans are fed up with Biden's dangerous, liberal policies. [pic.twitter.com/9ALkW1WFeg](https://t.co/9ALkW1WFeg) > > — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott\_TX) [October 22, 2021](https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1451560820735885315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Billboard reported that the artist Loza Alexander made its [Hot 100](https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100) chart for the week of Oct. 30 with a song titled “Let’s Go Brandon.” But others, including many Democrats, do not find the phrase funny. Twitter users who called for a boycott of Southwest said the airline should punish the pilot. Political viral moments have become increasingly common in the digital age. During the 2020 election, a Trump campaign news conference held in the parking lot of a landscaping company inspired bumper stickers, memes, a [documentary](https://variety.com/2021/film/news/four-seasons-total-landscaping-documentary-msnbc-1235087970/) and [even a charity run](https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/09/22/fraud-street-run-philadelphia-four-seasons-total-landscaping-donald-trump/). Karen North, a professor of digital media at the University of Southern California, who worked for the Clinton administration, said that a moment like the “Brandon” phrase “has the fun of being an inside joke or meme and the power of being a rallying cry at the same time.” But these moments seem to have an ever-shorter shelf life, Ms. North said. “Because new trends and memes spread so much more quickly,” she added, “people have something new to jump to more quickly.” A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 1, 2021, Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Airline Contrite After a Pilot Mocks Biden. 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