Staying composed when everything around you is chaotic is one of the most important traits any on-camera news reporter can have, whether they’re reporting from a conflict zone or simply standing beside a road in Cincinnati.
That level of calm was on display for FOX19 NOW viewers this week, when reporter Alexis Martin continued her live report without missing a beat—even as something unsettling happened directly behind her.
Martin was covering President Trump’s visit to Ohio on Wednesday, positioned near a busy roadway. As she said “the President just left a little over ten minutes ago,” a passerby wandered into the shot over her right shoulder.
The man, dressed casually in blue shorts and a red T-shirt with a dark jacket slung over his shoulder, glanced toward the camera as he entered frame. He then angled toward the reporter with a look that suggested he knew exactly what he was doing.
With a cigarette in hand, he moved behind Martin as she delivered her lines. Moments later, he reappeared in the background and performed an act that many viewers found genuinely disgusting.
“We are seeing a lot of the people here clearing out,” Martin said, maintaining her focus while subtly shifting her stance as the man hovered close behind her.
In the background, he held the cigarette up toward the camera like a prop, then flipped it around and put it in his mouth—lit end first.
He then appeared to chew the burning cigarette and even waved at the camera, while Martin kept speaking through the distraction. Not long after, the station switched away from the live shot to B-roll.
Clips of the moment quickly spread online, with many viewers applauding Martin for staying professional and continuing her report despite the bizarre scene behind her.
NEW: Ohio man lights a cigarette and eats it during a live Fox 19 broadcast about President Trump's visit to Cincinnati.
Reporter Alexis Martin was live reporting when the man in the background was seen shoving the cigarette in his mouth.
The man then started chewing the… pic.twitter.com/RZJbAiDgHk
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 12, 2026
“Where does this rank in great moments in Cincinnati TV history?” One person asked.
Others made jokes in the vein of “who needs Florida Man when we have Ohio Man?”
A surprising number of commenters also seemed to respect the man’s commitment to the stunt, praising his “graceful confidence” and “passionate delivery” of a completely random gross-out moment. Some even called it “impressive,” for lack of a better term.
For plenty of people, though, the main reaction was simple disbelief—asking, “what the hell did I just watch?”