Senator Kennedy’s Blunt Take: “Shutdown Stupidity Is Why Aliens Lock Their Doors When They Fly Past Earth”

The ongoing government shutdown, now stretching into its 29th day, has transformed Capitol Hill into a battleground of egos, drama, and increasingly colorful commentary. On Wednesday, Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, known for his wit and candor, delivered a biting assessment of the Senate’s deadlock during an interview with Kasie Hunt. His remarks—“This is why aliens lock their doors when they fly past Earth”—quickly captured the frustrated mood of both lawmakers and the public.

The Arena: Frustration Mounts as Shutdown Drags On

Senator Kennedy, a member of the influential Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Kasie Hunt in the studio as the Senate reeled from an unusually heated exchange between Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Democratic leaders over SNAP benefits and the broader government funding crisis. Hunt opened the discussion by noting Thune’s rare display of anger and his promise to personally engage with Democrats to break the impasse.

Kennedy, never one for sugarcoating, responded with characteristic irreverence:
“I don’t pay much attention to that stuff unless somebody gets stabbed, then I’ll pay attention. We’re day 29 of the shutdown. It’s a soap opera. If I were naming this soap opera, I’d call it ‘As the Stomach Turns.’ There’s a lot of melodrama.”

He continued, “It’s not going to end, Kasie. I don’t care what anybody tells you. John can meet with Chuck and this and that and the other, but it’s not going to end until enough senators take their egos out back and shoot them. And so far, that hasn’t happened. I do not see an offramp.”

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No End in Sight: Egos and Stalemate

Kennedy’s diagnosis of the situation was bleak. Even if the Senate reached an agreement on healthcare, he argued, it would still have to pass the House—a prospect he viewed as unlikely. “If we did agree on something on healthcare, it’s got to pass the House. And I don’t think it could pass the House right now,” he said.

He pointed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s negotiating stance as a major obstacle, describing it as “such a big ask.” “When you add it up, it’s like $1.5 trillion and wants us to gut the Affordable Care Act or the big beautiful bill like a fish. He’s so far out there, it’s hard for him to get back off that limb. If he had had something more reasonable, we might be talking.”

Kennedy’s assessment was unsparing: “I’m not proud of it. My guess is the American people are thinking to themselves, ‘A pox on both our houses,’ and I can’t blame them.”

SNAP Benefits: The Human Cost of Political Dysfunction

Kasie Hunt pressed Kennedy on whether the pressure was shifting, especially given the threat to SNAP benefits for millions of Americans, including many in Louisiana. Kennedy expressed empathy for those relying on food assistance, but suggested that the SNAP issue might finally force action.

“I don’t want to see people in America go hungry. Nobody does. I think that the SNAP issue will turn up the pressure, which is probably a good thing in terms of getting it settled,” Kennedy said.

He was quick to add, however, that meetings and negotiations alone wouldn’t resolve the crisis. “Senator Thune can have all the meetings he wants to with the Democrats on the Affordable Care Act and make all the deals that he wants to, but he’s going to have to sell that to the Republicans in the Senate. I’m not going to vote some way just because the majority leader tells me to. And more importantly, he’d have to sell it to the House.”

Kennedy’s preferred solution? “I’d like to see us open government back up and have an honest discussion about how we can fix the Affordable Care Act. Subsidies are not—premiums on the Affordable Care Act are going through the roof. Something’s wrong. That’s an indication that they’re not working and we need to fix it or start over and do something else. But that’s not going to happen till, once again, people take their egos out back and shoot them. And so far, they’re not willing to do that.”

Health Care Reform: No Easy Answers

The conversation shifted to the elusive Republican health care plan, prompted by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s viral post on social media. Greene complained that she had to enter a secure facility (“skiff”) just to learn about the GOP’s health care strategy, implying that no plan actually exists.

Kennedy defended the secrecy, explaining, “The House is like the Senate. It leaks like the Titanic. It would have leaked immediately.” He acknowledged that many lawmakers were thinking about ways to fix the Affordable Care Act, listing ideas such as association health plans and bringing back high-risk pools—options that have been restricted under current law.

He also criticized the insurance industry’s comfort with the status quo. “A lot of the insurance companies are not going to like some of these ideas because they’re fat and happy and they’re making money. In fact, the American taxpayer, the federal government, is sending subsidy checks directly to the insurance companies. That’s also one of the things we ought to change.”

Kennedy expressed cautious optimism about finding solutions, but warned, “Once again, the longer we go, the egos get involved and people get prideful. You saw it with Senator Thune and probably now Senator Schumer is going to feel like he’s got to bite back. We’re kind of like kids now in the back of a minivan fighting. And it’s not a good look, but I’ve seen it before and you have too.”

Alien Analogies and Public Disgust

As the interview wrapped up, Kennedy delivered his now-famous quip:
“This is why the aliens lock their doors when they fly past Earth. Nobody’s impressed with this, but it’s not going to get better until everybody puts their egos aside.”

The remark, delivered with Kennedy’s trademark dry humor, resonated across social media and news outlets, encapsulating the public’s exasperation with Washington’s dysfunction. Hunt responded in kind, joking, “I will tell my kids in the back of the minivan this is why they don’t get to meet the aliens.”

The Broader Implications: A Government Paralyzed by Pride

Kennedy’s interview highlighted a deeper malaise in American politics: the inability of Congress to set aside personal ambition and ideological purity for the common good. The ongoing shutdown has left thousands of federal workers without pay, threatened vital programs like SNAP and WIC, and cast doubt on the government’s ability to address urgent issues like health care reform.

The senator’s call for humility—“take their egos out back and shoot them”—was echoed by many lawmakers, but few seemed willing to take the first step. The result: a government paralyzed by pride and partisanship, with no end in sight.

The Human Toll: Hunger, Uncertainty, and Outrage

As Kennedy acknowledged, the SNAP issue is not just a political football—it’s a lifeline for millions of Americans. In Louisiana alone, thousands depend on food assistance to feed their families. The threat of losing these benefits has added urgency to the negotiations, but also deepened the sense of outrage and betrayal among the public.

Federal workers have missed paychecks, food safety inspections are delayed, and uncertainty has spread from Washington to communities across the country. Kennedy’s blunt assessment—“I’m not proud of it”—reflects a growing consensus that the system is broken and in need of repair.

A Dysfunctional Congress: Soap Opera or Tragedy?

Kennedy’s comparison of the shutdown to a soap opera—“As the Stomach Turns”—is both humorous and apt. The melodrama on Capitol Hill has become a spectacle, with lawmakers trading barbs and blaming one another for the crisis. Yet beneath the theatrics lies a genuine tragedy: the erosion of trust in government and the real suffering of ordinary Americans.

Conclusion: Until Egos Are Set Aside, Aliens Will Keep Their Distance

Senator Kennedy’s interview with Kasie Hunt offered a rare moment of honesty amid the chaos, cutting through the rhetoric to expose the fundamental problem at the heart of the shutdown: ego. Until lawmakers are willing to “take their egos out back and shoot them,” the deadlock will persist, and the government will remain in limbo.

For now, Kennedy’s alien analogy serves as a biting reminder of Washington’s dysfunction—and a challenge to Congress to put the needs of the nation above personal pride. As the shutdown drags on, the pressure to find a solution grows, but so does the frustration and cynicism of the American people.