‘Oof!’ L.A. Councilman Stumbles Over Pledge Of Allegiance

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León opened Tuesday’s City Council meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and ended his excruciating recital with a loud “oof,” easily the most eloquent part of his moment in the spotlight.

LA’s newest councilman and former California Senate President Pro Tempore, de León, stumbled through the Pledge, ultimately forgetting the words or substituting alternatives. He tripped up when he got to ‘indivisible,’ and instead went with ‘undervisible.’

At that point, he started over, stopped again, then powered through it, skipping words here and there.

His flub didn’t go unnoticed on Twitter.

De León responded to his multitude of critics with a sheepish tweet acknowledging his embarrassment while trying to make the best of it. He encouraged those who got a laugh at his expense to donate to the nonprofit No Us Without You LA, which feeds LA’s hungry.

Some in the Twitter-verse were quick to come to de Leon’s defense, noting everyone gets tongue-tied once in a while.

"[De León] knows the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m sure he is terribly embarrassed. Can we show some compassion and extend a little grace?” Assemblyman Chad Mayes, of Rancho Mirage, Tweeted.

Right-wing media outlets weren’t so forgiving. Breitbart picked up the video, and several commenters saw the flub through a partisan lens.

“Typical Democrat,” wrote Twitter user Conservative American.

Pete Brown, a spokesman for De León, told the Los Angeles Times that the councilman knows the pledge's words by heart. “He just stumbled and showed he was human,” said Brown. “We’ve all forgotten lyrics to songs we’ve sung a hundred thousand times.”

For the record, there are just 31 words to the pledge — "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

If you'd care to donate to the cause, at the request of the flustered councilman, visit: No Us Without You LA.