During a live CNN segment discussing the U.S. economy and a disappointing jobs report, economist Justin Wolfers experienced an unexpected interruption when he accidentally swallowed a fly.
The incident occurred on Saturday as Wolfers, a professor at the University of Michigan, was speaking with CNN host Omar Jimenez about the Federal Reserve and the latest employment figures. The report showed U.S. employers shed 23,000 jobs in the previous month, falling short of economists' expectations for an 80,000 gain.
Wolfers had just described the U.S. labor market as "remarkably resilient" when he began to cough. Jimenez attempted to maintain the professional tone of the interview as Wolfers struggled.
After covering his mouth, Wolfers addressed the situation directly. "Mate, I just swallowed a fly on live television," he told Jimenez. The host responded, "I was trying to keep talking while you were coughing, so you could figure it out. It's all good."
As an Australian, Wolfers quipped, "Aussies love eating flies," humorously pretending to catch and eat another insect. He then connected the experience to his economic commentary, suggesting the fly incident could serve as a metaphor for the Federal Reserve.
"The biggest thing going on at the Fed is Kevin Warsh feels like I do right now," Wolfers stated, referring to Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh. "Kevin Warsh doesn’t feel like talking about what’s going on, and it makes both of us a little harder to understand, and a little harder to interpret. So you could think about Kevin as having swallowed the fly as well."
Wolfers also playfully referenced the nursery rhyme "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," adding, "I might swallow a horse; that will get the fly."
Following the broadcast, Wolfers shared his experience on X, formerly Twitter. He explained that a fly had entered his mouth while he was speaking on CNN and that he "swallowed hard and kept talking" when the next question turned to the Fed, drawing a parallel to Warsh's perceived reluctance to discuss economic matters. Wolfers concluded his post with a lighthearted note: "The fly is dead. And I’m no longer a vegetarian."