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.

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.