Southwest Airlines investigating claim that pilot said 'Let's Go Brandon' over intercom

On Monday, POLITICO reported that Southwest Airlines has opened an investigation after reports that a pilot said "Let's Go Brandon" over the intercom during a flight from Houston to Albuquerque last Friday.

"The airline said in a statement it would 'address the situation directly with any Employee involved while continuing to remind all Employees that public expression of personal opinions while on duty is unacceptable. Southwest does not condone Employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job serving our Customers, and one Employee's individual perspective should not be interpreted as the viewpoint of Southwest and its collective 54,000 Employees,'" said the report.

According to the original report, the pilot's announcement drew "audible gasps" from the passengers.

"Let's Go Brandon" is an expression, popular in online right-wing circles, that is code for "F**k Joe Biden." It originates from a NASCAR race in October where the crowd began chanting the vulgar attack on the U.S. president while a reporter was interviewing the winner of the race, Brandon Brown. The reporter initially thought the phrase being chanted was "Let's Go Brandon," a mistake that led some GOP commentators to accuse the media of covering for the president.

Since that incident, some elected Republican officials have used or promoted the phrase, including Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) who wore a mask bearing the phrase on the House floor.