The Brood X cicadas, at least in parts of the United States, are freaking everywhere. Even the president himself cannot escape the noisy bugs’ wrath.
President Joe Biden deftly swatted one of the critters that dive-bombed his neck on television on Wednesday. Here’s the video of Biden slapping the bug as he prepared to board Air Force 1 to embark on a trip to Europe.
The cicada-swatting incident took place at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. As someone who recently spent significant time in the D.C./Maryland area, I can safely say the cicadas are currently at level holy crap. They blanket the ground, alive, dead, squished. Or they’re buzzing in your face, landing on your shirt as millions of their pals emit a constant, echoing hum. The bugs are, however, totally harmless. They don’t bite or sting and mostly just buzz around aimlessly.
Biden even joked with the press, “Watch out for the cicadas, I just got one.”
The press, however, ended up having a far worse encounter with the bugs. The plane set to carry White House press to Europe was grounded because of cicadas.
The aircraft couldn’t fly after the bugs caused a mechanical issue, apparently after flying into an engine. The press remained grounded for some seven hours before a replacement plane arrived.
Those dang bugs are relentless.