Mika Brzezinski Apologies for ‘Crass and Offensive’ ‘Butt Boy’ Comment

Mika Brzezinski opened Friday’s episode of Morning Joe with a heartfelt apology for what she described as a vulgar term used to describe Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

After an evasive interview that Pompeo gave on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi on Fox & Friends on Wednesday, Ms. Brzeziznski referred to the Sec. of State as a “wannabe dictator’s butt-boy.”

Brzezinski apologized quickly on Twitter, but critical reaction persisted. She was absent from yesterday’s show due to a family matter, so this was the first time she could address her comment on-air.

Brzezinski said:

I want to get to something first. I was off yesterday for a family matter, as you mentioned, but I wanted to address a term that I used on this show on Wednesday that was vulgar. I knew it right away and I tweeted that it was a terrible choice of words and that I was sorry. But please allow me to say this face-to-face.

The term is crass and offensive and I apologize to everyone, especially the LGBTQ community and to my colleagues for using it. It was a mistake. My father would have found it so unbecoming and disrespectful and he would have told me. I will work hard to be better. But I just wanted to say on camera, looking the viewers straight in the eye, I am really, really sorry.

Watch the clip above courtesy of MSNBC.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!