The White House press corps’ plane was held up Tuesday night because of a swarm of cicadas and by Wednesday morning, journalists including “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski expressed major disgust.
“I can’t even, Willie. I can’t even!” she exclaimed on MSNBC’s morning show as co-host Willie Geist agreed.
Brzezinski recapped what went down Tuesday night: A chartered plane of journalists was scheduled to leave Washington, D.C. ahead of Joe Biden’s first trip abroad as president Tuesday night around 9 pm local time, but a swarm of cicadas — the large, noisy bugs which emerge from the ground once every 17 years to totally take over the area — got into the engine. The plane was delayed. Other pilots were called in. Brzezinski added that at some point, the White House stepped in to get the journalists hotel rooms and pizzas. The flight departed Wednesday.
The story was recounted by various affected outlets, like CNN and the New York Times, and it played out on Twitter in real time.
“The White House press charter, flying from Dulles to Europe ahead of President Biden, has been delayed for hours – due to mechanical issues caused by cicadas,” wrote AP White House reporter Jonathan Lemire. “Yes. Cicadas.”
“No, @JonLemire isn’t kidding,” echoed CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins. “The White House press charter for the foreign trip is delayed several hours because of cicada-related mechanical issues.”
Watch Brzezinski’s reaction above, via MSNBC.