A press dinner to boost Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign unfortunately devolved into an evening resulting in an unruly shouting match and farting.
RFK Jr. is the son of the late former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of Democratic President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy.
The founder of the ecological organization Waterkeeper Alliance announced he was challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
On Tuesday night, Page Six's Mara Siegler attended RFK Jr.'s campaign dinner at Tony's on the Upper East Side and "bore reluctant witness" to the flatulence between "two boisterous old men" who raised a stink about climate change.
Things went south when a guest asked RFK Jr. about climate change, which prompted the event's host, Doug Dechert–who according to Page Six was "apparently drunk"–to become enraged.
In response to the inquiry, Dechert bellowed:
“The climate hoax!”
This led British journalist and art critic Anthony Haden-Guest, "who appeared to have been sleeping happily for most of the dinner," to become roused by the scene and call Dechert a "miserable blob."
To which Dechert–a longtime acquaintance of Haden-Guest's–replied:
"Shut up!"
As Dechert launched into a tirade and referred to climate change as a "scam," Haden-Guest continued denigrating Dechert and called him “f'king insane” and “insignificant.”
That's when the stink bombs detonated.
In her report, Siegler regrettably shared:
"Here, it seems, Dechert sensed the need for a new rhetorical tack, and let rip a loud, prolonged fart while yelling, as if to underscore his point, 'I’m farting!'”
"The room, which included a handful of journalists as well as Kennedy’s campaign manager, former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, was stunned, seemingly unsure about whether Dechert was farting at Haden-Guest personally or at the very notion of global warming."
Siegler also noted how the Presidential hopeful calmly looked on and:
"maintained a steady composure in the face of the crisis."
Another attendee tried to steer the conversation and express admiration for RFK Jr.'s father–the late US Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy.
But her attempt at restoring decorum was futile as another guest inexplicably brought the discussion back to climate change.
The yelling consequently resumed.
The media outlet was informed Dechert and Haden-Guest have known each other for over three decades.
Dechert–who is notorious for verbally and physically sparring with reporters–later apologized to Page Six for:
"using my flatulence as a medium of public commentary in your presence.”
Dechert also insisted Page Six refer to him as a “gallivanting boulevardier” or a “beer-fueled sex rocket.”
Siegler obliged and wrote:
"The beer-fueled sex rocket, who picked up the tab for the evening as its host, was unapologetic about his views, telling us that he has 'zero tolerance for the climate hoax scam nonsense in any venue that I am personally funding'.”
@kileywrestling/Bluesky
