Senator Katie Britt, a Republican from Alabama, has strongly criticized a liberal influencer following his comments about her demeanor during a discussion on youth suicide prevention.

The senator’s response was directed at independent journalist Aaron Rupar, who had made an offhand remark on the social media platform X, critiquing her appearance during a recent segment on Fox News.

Rupar had posted a brief video clip featuring Britt discussing Australia’s social media ban for individuals under 16. In the clip, Britt maintained a serious expression while being introduced by anchor Bill Hemmer.

“Someone suggested to Katie Britt that she should tone down her smiling on TV, and now she’s gone too far in the opposite direction,” Rupar commented.

Britt wasted no time in responding, delivering a pointed rebuttal to Rupar’s tweet just hours after it was posted.

‘Hi online Aaron, I was talking about kids dying by suicide because Big Tech and social media continue to put profits over people,’ she wrote. 

‘Parents who lost their children aren’t laughing or making quips. Shame on you. Do better.’ 

Social media backed Britt following her tirade, as X users branded Rupar’s take ‘sad’ and said his remark on the female senator ‘smiling more’ was misogynistic. 

Aaron Rupar, an independent journalist and left-wing social media influencer, was criticized for his remarks on Senator Katie Britt’s Fox News appearance this week 

Britt blasted Rupar after he criticized her for not smiling during a segment about children committing suicide

The remarks come after Britt captured headlines last year with her response to Joe Biden’s final State of the Union, where she was panned for her emotional tone and appeared to be on the verge of tears at times. 

Britt, the youngest woman ever elected to the senate at 40, expressed support for Australia’s youth social media ban.

‘Look, what we have seen is that tech companies care about one thing, and that’s their bottom line,’ she told Fox News. 

‘Time and time again, we have exposed what they are doing to children, what these algorithms do. Look, the data speaks for itself.’ 

Britt cited shocking figures which show, ‘one in three high school young women last year said she actually considered death by suicide’.

‘Twenty-five percent of those young women actually made a plan, and then 13% of high school young women in America actually attempted death by suicide,’ she continued. 

‘Obviously this is beyond alarming. How many parents do we have to have come in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and others telling us the heartbreaking story of losing their children before we act?’ 

The Alabama senator said she would back a similar plan for the US, saying that the ‘time for action is now’.

The remarks about Britt’s on-screen presence comes after the senator captured headlines last year with her response (pictured) to Joe Biden’s final State of the Union, where she was panned for her emotional tone and appeared to be on the verge of tears at times 

Katie Britt seen with her husband Wesley, a former NFL player, and children Bennett and Ridgeway

Actress Scarlett Johansson played Britt in a Saturday Night Live skit mocking her response to the 2024 State of the Union speech

‘I commend Australia for actually doing something and protecting their most valuable and precious asset — and that’s the next generation.’ 

Britt is often seen as a rising star in the Republican party, and she has had a rapid rise through the ranks. 

She began as a press secretary for Alabama Senator Richard Shelby in 2004, and within two decades she took his seat in the senate. 

Along the way, she won scholarships in Miss Junior America competitions, attended the University of Alabama, worked as a top lawyer and married the captain of the football team, with whom she had two children. 

In office, she has maintained a hardline conservative voting record, and has opposed abortion, supported the Second Amendment, advocated for increased border security, championed small businesses and spoke passionately about her faith. 

And she was chosen by party leadership to give the high-profile primetime spot to refute President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address – an assignment given to political stars in the making. 

But her dramatic display at the response was mocked by liberals for being overly emotional, and Britt was even parodied by actress Scarlett Johansson on Saturday Night Live after the performance.