It’s not really clear why — but Sen. Thad Cochran made a public comment about performing illicit activities with animals back in his days as a child in small-town Mississippi.

“[We’d] get back [to Pine Belt-Hattiesburg] as often as we could because it was fun — it was an adventure to be out there in the country and see what goes on,” he said, reminiscing about his childhood years in Mississippi, Breitbart reported. “Picking up pecans, from that to all kinds of indecent things with animals.”

Mr. Cochran’s audience at the Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg laughed, but as the Jackson Clarion-Ledger video of the event showed — the senator’s facial expression did not change.

“I know some of you know what that is,” Mr. Cochran went on, Breitbart reported, citing the video. “The whole point of the story is not just coming here to visit cousins and get to know aunts and uncles better, you absorb the culture and you know what’s important to people here. I feel very comfortable here and have to identify with this area of the state that’s different that any other.”

The Clarion-Ledger painted the comment as “a joke, apparently about harassing wildlife or livestock.” Meanwhile, Mr. Cochran’s campaign spokesman brushed off the comment to the Daily Caller, saying only that “I’ll check with my political correctness department and get back to you.”

Mr. Cochran faces off against state Sen. Chris McDaniel, favored by the tea party, in a June 24 primary.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.