Obama Fakes Louisiana Accent During Baton Rouge Flood Speech? President’s Twang Changes, Twitter Users Claim

President Barack Obama sounded a little different Tuesday in Baton Rouge while he addressed the flooding that has plagued the southern portion of Louisiana. Amid criticism that addressed the State of Emergency too late, others claimed he flicked on his southern accent.

“Notice how Obama suddenly gets southern accent? He's a patronizing phony!” one Twitter user wrote. “Media center playing Obama right now.....he is using his Louisiana accent, which is different than his DC or NC accent... phony,” another wrote.

President Obama on how Americans can help those impacted by the flooding in Louisiana https://t.co/5XFHrCl5Kc https://t.co/yrqOpyl0kH

— CNN (@CNN) August 23, 2016

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump visited the devastated area days before Obama, handing out supplies to victims of the flood. The White House didn’t announce Obama would visit the area until after Trump.

“While in Martha's Vineyard, the President has received updates on the situation in Louisiana, including from the DHS Secretary and the FEMA Administrator, who took separate trips there,” a White House statement read Friday. "The President today directed his team to coordinate with Louisiana officials to determine an appropriate time for him to visit, and together they have determined that the President will visit Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday, Aug. 23.”

Obama’s reluctance to visit Louisiana drew comparison to Hurricane Katrina. At the time, then-President George W. Bush was pictured flying above Louisiana. He was criticized for taking too long to address the devastation.

There might be some politics at play here. While Obama took a long time to respond to the Louisiana flood, he was praised for his quick reaction to Superstorm Sandy, which wrecked coastal New Jersey and New York. At the time, he was up for reelection in 2012. At this point, Obama is practically a lame duck.

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