MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski has issued an apology after facing a firestorm of criticism for using a homophobic slur to describe Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Brzezinski, while criticizing Pompeo for his remarks on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning regarding Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, descended into a rant where she called Pompeo “a wannabe dictator’s butt boy,” reported Fox News.
“Why doesn’t Mike Pompeo care right now?” she asked. “Are the pathetic deflections that we just heard when he appeared on ‘Fox and Friends,’ is that a patriot speaking, or a wannabe dictator’s buttboy? I’m dead serious. I’m asking, are these the words of a patriot?”
Video of her remarks was soon shared on Twitter by viewer G.E. Anderson, who called the slur “as homophobic a term as I’ve heard on national morning television.”
Anderson also wrote that MSNBC “tried and failed to censor” the slur “and did not transcribe her remark in the closed captioning. #journalism”
He added in a following tweet that he was in agreement with her “right up to the ‘butt boy’ comment” and that she maybe shouldn’t “equate homosexuality with Mike Pompeo carrying water for the murderous regime in Saudi Arabia.”
In response to criticism, Brzezinski took to Twitter to apologize, responding to G.E. Anderson specifically, in which she chalked everything up to a "SUPER BAD choice of words."
“Totally agree with you -SUPER BAD choice of words .. I should have said ‘water boy’... like for football teams or something like that.. apologize to @SenatorDurbin too! SO SORRY!” she wrote.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was in the studio at the time of her remark.
People apparently didn't feel the apology was enough. One person wrote that conservatives “get slammed all day long” by networks like MSNBC and CNN “for bad word choices” and that Brzezinski should “stop rushing to judge.”
Another said similarly that, "If someone on Fox or WH said that," liberals would demand that person's resignation.
Another man called out Brzezinski on her weak apology, writing that “as a gay man, I’m getting really tired” of the excuse of using "a bad choice of words."
“it was said really quickly. and naturally. natural words to someone are not a bad choice. #bebetter," he wrote.
Many called for her firing or suspension.
Others made fun of the situation, saying, “I guess Mika won’t be asked to host the Oscars either” and, “This just in... Mika Brzezinski to replace Kevin Hart as host of the Oscar's,” referring to the comedian being forced to step down amid criticism for years-old "anti-gay" comments he made.
According to Fox News, “MSNBC did not immediately respond when asked if the network condones or plans to do anything about Brzezinski’s comment."
It remains to be seen whether Brzezinski will be on the show Thursday morning. My guess is, she probably will be, because, it's MSNBC, and double standards are alive and well in the liberal news media.