Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., on Monday called the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris, “a little bit of a ding dong,” — a phrase he repeated about half a dozen times— during a ten-minute Fox News interview.

The GOP senator was met with some pushback from host Neil Cavuto who confronted him for his comment. Cavuto questioned the purpose of the name-calling the vice president has faced from Republicans like Kennedy, calling it “petty.”

“Well, this ding dong, senator, has risen in the polls,” Cavuto said.

“Margaret Thatcher didn’t giggle, Golda Meir didn’t giggle. When you look at the polls, fair or not, many Americans — and again, this may not be fair — but I’m showing you what the polls show. Many Americans think that the vice president is a little bit of a ding dong,” Kennedy told Cavuto.

Without clarifying just what polls he’s referring to, Kennedy claimed that polls show that Americans believe that Harris is “not a serious person,” and is a member of the “loon wing” of the Democratic Party.

“And let me say it again, I think that fair or not, and it may upset you, but fair or not the American people think those who have an opinion of the vice president think that, number one, she’s a little bit of a ding-dong,” he said.

“I’m just wondering how you think that will resonate with women when she is called nasty and crazy and a ding-dong and disrespectful, between you and the president, what has been said about her. I’m just wondering, do you worry how that comes across?” Cavuto interjected.

To which Kennedy clarified his position: he doesn't care about Harris’ gender, just that she is a” ding dong.”