Mixed or conditional
““It might be appropriate if he goes while wearing a paper bag over his head.””
Kennedy responded to the attendance question with a disparaging conditional statement rather than an unambiguous yes or no.
- Speaker
- John Kennedy
- Capacity
- United States senator from Louisiana
- Observed
- September 9, 2026
- Published here
- September 10, 2026
- Targets
- Zohran Mamdani
- Classification rationale
- The statement permits attendance only rhetorically and under a humiliating condition, so it is recorded as mixed or conditional.
Surrounding material
Full context
Before the quotation
Fox News asked senators whether it would be appropriate for Mamdani to attend.
After the quotation
Kennedy did not provide a separate direct answer in the cited report.
Evidence
Complete source record
GOP senators back 9/11 families’ petition to exclude Mamdani (opens in a new tab)Interviews with Sens. Tim Sheehy and John Kennedy
Reports senators' responses to the petition. Sheehy endorsed giving families control over attendance; Kennedy answered with a disparaging conditional statement.