Social media users mocked Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery after she publicly complained about a flight attendant wishing her and other passengers a “blessed” night at the end of a recent flight.
Jeffery ridiculed the flight attendant in a recent X post, saying her sendoff was evidence of “creeping Christian nationalism” in the country and pointing out all the other less Christian adjectives she could have used.
“How sad and impoverished is your life that you’re offended by someone blessing you? Get a grip,” wrote Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen in response to Jeffery’s post.
The Mother Jones journalist went after the flight attendant on the social media platform Friday night, writing, “Creeping Christian nationalism alert: @AlaskaAir flight attendant just wished us a ‘blessed’ night as we landed in SFO (!) to groans. Other adjectives that would have sufficed: great, awesome, fabulous, amazing, fantastic…”
She added, “As my rowmate said, ‘this ain’t Montgomery, sweetie.’”
The critical post went viral, getting over three million views on X in a few hours, as well as a deluge of comments from prominent users – both conservative and liberal – outraged that Jeffery could find fault with someone being polite.
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Kamala Harris campaign fundraiser Armand Domalewski rebuked Jeffery, writing, “Respectfully, I’m a pretty left-leaning guy and I wish folks a blessed day fairly often. It’s just a nice thing to say.”
His comment prompted a response from the editor-in-chief, who replied, “Eh. It’s a matter of respect for the audience before you. Respecting their space and norms and wishes. Dominant cultures always feel they have a right to enforce their norms and intents. And…way off @AlaskaAir’s brand.”
However, Domalewski disputed her point, adding, “As a practicing Catholic, I don’t feel like being publicly Christian is really the dominant culture here in SF lol.” Jeffery did not fire back.
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The Blaze’s Jessica O’Donnell slammed the editor-in-chief, posting, “You have issues greater than a flight attendant’s well wishes.”
Canadian conservative activist Billboard Chris shared old posts of Jeffery’s in which she herself used “God bless” or praised others for using similar language.
In the list he shared was Jeffery’s post from 2020 in which she praised former President Obama’s use of the phrase “God Bless” in a speech honoring the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.
“‘God bless you all, God bless America, God bless this gentle soul that pulled it closer to its promise.’ Now that’s a kicker,” she wrote at the time.
The Dispatch editor-in-chief and L.A. Times columnist Jonah Goldberg ripped Jeffery, writing, “This is a bizarre and pretty indefensible overreaction, imo.”
Pollster Frank Luntz asked the journalist, “Do you get alarmed if people say ‘bless you’ after you sneeze?”
The Washington Examiner contributor Kimberly Ross denounced Jeffery’s post, stating, “This is not ‘creeping Christian nationalism.’ This is someone showing kindness to others. It’s not offensive. It’s not a demand for religious conversion. The issue here is you processed it as a problem that requires a public complaint while tagging the airline. Time to grow up.”
