Al Roker slams 'nitwit' Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin over cold weather comments

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Al Roker slams 'nitwit' Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin for calling kids 'weak' amid subzero temps

NBC weatherman and personality Al Roker did not hide his disdain for Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin's comments about school districts canceling classes due to the cold weather. Roker was giving a weather update on MSBNC Wednesday when he called out Bevin. Describing the politician as a 'nitwit' for saying that school districts were being too 'soft' on kids when they canceled classes due to chilly weather.

NBC weatherman and personality Al Roker did not hide his disdain for Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin's comments about school districts canceling classes due to the cold weather.

Roker was giving a weather update on MSBNC Wednesday when he called out Bevin.

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“By the way, I just have to say this nitwit governor in Kentucky saying that, ‘Oh, we’re weak,’ these are kids who are going to be in subzero wind chills,” he said.

“No. Cancel school. Stop it. You know, adults, if they wanna be out there, that’s great. These are our children. I’m glad you’re not a teacher,” Roker concluded.

On Tuesday, Bevin caught some heat after telling WHAS radio that school districts were being too “soft” on kids when they canceled classes due to chilly weather.

“C’mon now,” Bevin replied. “There’s no ice going with it or any snow. I mean, what happened to America? We’re getting soft, Terry [Meiners]. We’re getting soft.”

Bevin added that he was “being only slightly facetious.”

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“It’s better to err on the side of being safe, and I’m being only slightly facetious,” Bevin said. “But it does concern me a little bit that, in America, on this and any number of other fronts, we’re sending messages to our young people that if life is hard, you can curl up in the fetal position somewhere in a warm place and just wait until it stops being hard, and that isn’t reality. It just isn’t.”

Many teachers, school administrators and political rivals did not see it as a joke. Adam Edelen, a Democratic candidate for governor, called Bevin’s comments “dumb and mean.”

Many of Kentucky’s schools closed Wednesday, with wind chills in parts of the state reaching minus-20 degrees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.