Conservative editor-in-chief says mispronunciation led to accusations of using slur

Updated October 04, 2024 at 11:51 AM ET

Rich Lowry, the editor-in-chief of the prominent conservative magazine National Review, denied accusations that he used a racial slur to refer to Haitian migrants during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, saying it was a mispronunciation.

Kelly asked Lowry, who has been at the magazine since 1997, about comments made by JD Vance regarding vitriolic and debunked claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating neighborhood pets.

In a CNN interview on Sunday, Vance, the Ohio senator and Republican vice presidential nominee, said he was willing “to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention.”

"He admits they made it up," said Kelly, to which Lowry responded: "Remember 'alternative facts' with Kellyanne [Conway]. They did the same thing."

Lowry added, “They’ve only found two Springfield residents calling to complain about Haitian [word] — migrants taking geese from ponds.”

Lowry's initial pronunciation of the word "migrants," which he later said he simply stumbled over, sounded like the N-word to some social media users.

Lowry comments, however, drew mixed interpretations.

"Having a hard time coming to any conclusion besides the obvious one about what Lowry catches himself blurting out here," wrote Madeline Peltz, deputy director of rapid response at the liberal group Media Matters, who posted the clip to X.

While Kelly did not visibly react during the interview itself, she later jumped to Lowry's defense on X, writing in response to a clip of the show, "This is so disgusting and obviously leveled by someone that doesn’t know [Rich Lowry] at all."

Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy, who is also a National Review contributing editor, also responded to the controversy, writing on X that Lowry "obviously got crossed up between 'immigrants' (short i) and migrants (long i) -- started mispronouncing 'migrants' with short i; instantly corrected himself with no embarrassment because it was patently a mispronunciation."

Lowry responded on X: "Yep, this is exactly what happened—I began to mispronounce the word 'migrants' and caught myself halfway through."

NPR media reporter David Folkenflik weighed in on X, saying: "After watching several times, even slowing this down to 0.25 speed, I believe Lowry garbled migrants and immigrants just after saying the word 'Haitian.'" Folkenflik added: "It is startling to hear what emerged. Nonetheless, critics can best grapple directly with the substance of what he is saying."

NPR has reached out the National Review for comment but has yet to hear back.

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