The internet was left scratching its head on Tuesday after an unknown man in his underwear was seen walking in the background of a news interview.
During a segment on the conservative cable news outlet Newsmax, a scantily-clad man appeared in the frame as right-wing pundit Dick Morris discussed the results of the Iowa caucuses.
Morris, who served as an advisor to Bill Clinton during his time as Arkansas governor, has been a Republican since 1996 and has spent recent years championing former President Donald Trump.
The incident, made even more strange by the total lack of reaction by the half-dressed man, Morris, or the Newsmax anchor, immediately garnered widespread attention on social media.
“Uhhh are we just going to ignore the man in his underwear walking behind Dick Morris during this interview?” one user asked.
Many users were quick to make assumptions about Morris’ sexuality by suggesting that he was somehow intimately involved with the unknown man.
“Dick Morris is a married Republican who has made a living trashing Bill Clinton for his personal behavior,” a user wrote. “It appears Dick has a boyfriend. So interesting.”
Others argued over whether the man had walked out of a separate room or a small closet. Numerous jokes were made about the man “coming out of the closet,” a term used by the LGBTQ community when self-disclosing their sexual orientation for the first time.
“I have questions. I know it’s the 21st century, but why is a guy in his shorts and a T-Shirt walking out of Dick Morris’ closet?” another asked. “Hell, why was a guy in a T-shirt and shorts even in Dick Morris’ closet?”
Conservatives also made numerous references to Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was targeted by conspiracy theorists who falsely claimed that a man who broke into his house with a hammer was actually a secret lover.
“When your Paul Pelosi hammer delivery boy doesn’t have the manners to knock before entering…” one user said.
Despite the widespread attention and speculation, neither Morris or Newsmax has commented on the incident.
Morris, who has continued posting to X since the interview, has been bombarded with replies demanding to know more about the man.
“Care to tell us about the man in his underwear walking past you while you had a video interview?” a user asked. “Can we assume he came out of the closet to make a public announcement on your behalf?”
Another user quipped that the strange moment was “only like the third most embarrassing thing to have happened to Dick Morris in his career.”
The remark refers to when Morris was forced to resign as Clinton’s advisor in 1996 after it was revealed that he was having an affair with a female prostitute.
