TODAY Show‘s Al Roker has been on the frontlines of Hurricane Ida coverage, reporting on the extreme weather in New Orleans. Roker, who is 67, grew frustrated with the concern many were expressing online, citing his age as the reason that he should have let someone else do the dangerous job. He posted a video on Twitter dumping the water from his rain boots into the tub alongside a message to everyone tweeting about his age.
“For all those who were worried about me out on [Lake Pontchartrain] covering [Ida] a) I volunteered to do this. Part of the job. b) My crew and I were safe and we are back at our hotel and c) for those who think I’m too old to to be doing this, try and keep up,” he wrote.
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For all those who were worried about me out on #lakepontchartrain covering #Ida a) I volunteered to do this. Part of the job. b) My crew and I were safe and we are back at our hotel and c) for those who think Iโm too old to to be doing this, try and keep up pic.twitter.com/DctJBFKD0D
โ Al Roker (@alroker) August 29, 2021
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Despite Roker’s assurances that he is still the man for the job, Twitter was full of people expressing their concern.
Al Roker is almost 70 years old, why is this necessary https://t.co/mXw6VaQXzp
โ philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 29, 2021
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“Why y’all got Al Roker out here doing the Tempest. Let the man sit down and dry off, please,” tweeted author R. Eric Thomas.
They should fire whoever decided to put Al Roker in danger and keep Chuck Todd in studio, when they could have done the opposite. pic.twitter.com/Hs2IZbZlrH
โ Norm Charlatan (@normcharlatan) August 29, 2021
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“Are we really still forcing Al Roker to stand in the middle of a lethal hurricane??” tweeted another concerned fan. “The man is a national treasure, how about we stop risking his life to have him tell us it’s too dangerous to be out there.”
Al roker is 67 lmao nbc doing him dirty pic.twitter.com/XAnO939Pjc
โ jw (@iam_johnw2) August 29, 2021
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“If someone could please go get Al Roker and bring him to safety, that’d be great,” tweeted another viewer.
โSome people saying heโs too old to be out there โ well, SCREW YOU! Keep up. Keep up. I will DROP THEM LIKE A BAG OF DIRT.โ
โ Rex Chapman๐๐ผ (@RexChapman) August 29, 2021
-Al Roker https://t.co/uHWVQLAEtj
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“It’s 2021. I don’t need to see Al Roker risking his life and his crew’s lives to show me a hurricane. It can be reported on without standing outside in the middle of it,” another fan tweeted succinctly.
this how they be having Al Roker pic.twitter.com/dg8p7lF7jd
โ chicken man with a camera (@not10derzz) August 29, 2021
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“This is ridiculous, it’s stunt theater โ get him inside or we’re gonna watch Al Roker get vacuumed out to sea,” tweeted writer Chuck Wendig.
Can someone please take Al Roker inside? pic.twitter.com/HHcrjOWKTD
โ Chris Albers (@ChrisAlbersNY) August 29, 2021
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“Why y’all send Al Roker old ass to the middle of that hurricane? My momma called me about it and everything,” another Twitter user wrote.
What is the thinking here? We see Al Roker hit by incoming water. We could see the water without Mr. Roker getting hit. Why are these weather people not inside? pic.twitter.com/xnKVpHa4JM
โ Randy Mayeux (@Randy1116) August 29, 2021