Overview

• The Louisiana senator used a giant image from the film Alien on the Senate floor and claimed eating radioactive shrimp could make people grow an extra ear or turn into an alien.
• He reposted the floor presentation on X, drawing roughly 1.5 million views and criticism that his message was fear-mongering.
• Multiple supermarkets recalled imported shrimp in late August after tests detected cesium-137, prompting FDA Class II notices and advice to discard affected products.
• The FDA has said measured contamination levels were below federal intervention thresholds and that the concern centers on increased long-term cancer risk rather than immediate acute harm.
• Kennedy argued for buying Louisiana-caught shrimp and alleged foreign producers use antibiotics, a claim he offered without evidence.