Sen. Kennedy Rips Climate Activist Geoffrey Supran: ‘Are You Going to Call Me “A Sick Fu*k?”’

Kennedy: “... Supran, Let me ask you a couple of questions.”
SUPRAN: “OK.”
Kennedy: “You’re here at the request of my Democratic colleagues.”
SUPRAN: “No, sir.”
Kennedy: “No. Dr. Supran?”
SUPRAN: “That’s correct. Yes.”
Kennedy: “OK. Dr. Supran, on December 14th, 2023 you — you tweeted in support of Climate Defiance. That’s an entity that the Brookings Institute has called a radical climate change group. Is that correct?”
SUPRAN: “I don’t recall that I’m afraid.”
Kennedy: “OK. Would this be the same Climate Defiance that you — I’m looking at your tweet, you — you tweeted in support of them — would this be the same Climate Defiance that called Senator Joe Biden, quote, ‘a sick fu*k?”
SUPRAN: “I don’t know. But as I mentioned in —”
Kennedy: “Would this be the same Climate Defiance that called Senator Lisa Murkowski, a murderer?”
SUPRAN: “I do not know. As I said in my statement —”
Kennedy: “Would this be the same Climate Defiance who — who told the CEO of Exxon — Exxon to quote, ‘eat sh*t, Darren,’ close quote?”
SUPRAN: “I’m not responsible for the statements of other people. And I also do not know the answer. [crosstalk]”
Kennedy: “Nice group you’re hanging around with, doc. Here’s what your tweet says. Quote, ‘We do —‘ in — in support of Climate Defiance — ‘We do not do online petitions. We do not do NGO coalition letters. We do not do fu*king bus stop ads. We chase fossil fuel CEOs and the politicians who do their bidding. And we do not apologize,’ close quote. Did I read that correctly?”
SUPRAN: “That is not my tweet, sir.”
Kennedy: “That is your tweet, I’m looking at it. Here’s a copy right here. It’s right off your — it’s right off your website big as Dallas.” [crosstalk]
SUPRAN: “That is not my tweet, sir.”
Kennedy: “On October 31, 2023 you said this on — on Twitter, quote, ‘Climate justice was coined by our movements to locate it as a struggle against genocidal racial injustice, colonialism, and apartheid. If your climate justice doesn’t stand with the Palestinians against colonialism, and apartheid, then your climate justice has no justice in it, close quote.’ Did you say that?”
SUPRAN: “I believe not.”
Kennedy: “Here it is, bigger than Dallas.”
SUPRAN: “May I — may I — may I please the documents?”
Kennedy: “Yes, sir. And — and the witness’ documents there.”
SUPRAN: “May I please point out that this form of —“ [crosstalk]
WHITEHOUSE: “And the senator’s — the senator’s time has expired and there are other senators waiting.”
Kennedy: “I’ve got a bunch more tweets. Thank you for your objective advice, doc.”
WHITEHOUSE: “I’m sure you do. You can make — put them into a question for the record. And —“
[Crosstalk]
Kennedy: “Yes, I’d like to submit all of — all of the good doctor’s objective tweets and scientific analysis for the record.”
SUPRAN: “Thank you.”
WHITEHOUSE: “That will be done without objection. Senator Merkley.”
SUPRAN: “May I clarify one final point?”
WHITEHOUSE: “Proceed.”
SUPRAN: “These are not my tweets. These are retweets —“ [crosstalk]
Kennedy: “Oh, you often retweet stuff you don’t support? Is that what you’re telling me, Doc?”
SUPRAN: “I did not say that I don’t support this. I just simply did not tweet it, which as you’re alleging —”
Kennedy: “But you retweeted them, didn’t you?”
SUPRAN: “I’d like to make very clear that this form of —”
Kennedy: “But you retweeted them, didn’t you?”
SUPRAN: “— character assassination is characteristic of the propaganda techniques of fossil fuel —“ [crosstalk]
Kennedy: “You — you retweeted them, didn’t you?”
WHITEHOUSE: “Senator Merkley.”
SUPRAN: “Thank you.”
Kennedy: “Are you going to call me a sick fu*k?”
WHITEHOUSE: “It’s Senator Merkley’s time.”