Arguments at a press dinner for Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign became – literally and figuratively – explosive.
The dinner, held at Tony’s in New York City, descended into a screaming match when a guest asked the Democratic hopeful about the environment, Page Six reported. Mr Kennedy served as the former senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and founded the Waterkeeper Alliance, a network of environmental organisations aiming to protect the world’s water.
Doug Dechert, former gossip columinist and the event’s host, interjected: “The climate hoax!” The enraged yell prompted writer Anthony Haden-Guest to call the host a “miserable blob,” and ask him to “Shut up!” The pair have known each other for 30 years, the publication reported.
As Mr Dechert screamed about the climate change “scam” and Mr Haden-Guest, in turn, called him “f***ing insane” and “insignificant,” the presidential hopeful calmly observed the situation, the outlet reported.
The entire exchange came to an explosive end when Mr Dechert announced: “I’m farting!” followed by a loud noise that suggested he wasn’t lying.
Page Six said former Ohio congressman and ex-mayor of Cleveland Dennis Kucinich, who was in attendance, appeared “stunned” by the entire exchange.
When asked to comment on the climactic climate conversation, Mr Dechert told the outlet: “I apologse for using my flatulence as a medium of public commentary in your presence.”
The host, who picked up the tab, also doubled down on his views, explaining he has “zero tolerance for the climate hoax scam nonsense in any venue that I am personally funding.”
Mr Haden-Guest added his two cents on the evening’s outbursts: “I’ve known Doug many years. We have had spats before about this and that. We are not quite the same politically, but that doesn’t affect relationships in the UK. But I thought this was pretty ridiculous.”
The British-American critic continued, “Doug said it was a hoax and scam. A scam for who? Who is benefiting? That’s not a political thing, it’s a human existence thing.”
He added that public arguments are “unusual” for him, “but when it is preposterous and it’s a life-or-death issue with the planet, to treat it as a zany political thing is foolish.”
