On August 18, 2009, Herger triggered controversy when he attended a town hall meeting in Redding, California, where an audience member introduced himself as a "proud right-wing terrorist" The person admitted to reporters in a private interview ten days latter, after the controversy had reached national attention, that he had misspoken, having intended to say "extremist". Herger did not immediately distance himself from the remark then and there, but, instead, after the constituent's lengthy comment, responded by saying, "Amen. God bless you. There goes a great American." Many people, both inside and outside Herger's congressional district found his failure to respond immediately unacceptable. Herger's gaffe attained the apotheosis of national media attention when Keith Olbermann picked the story up for his show "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on August 28, 2009.