MSNBC host offers tearful apology to Romneys
Updated 1:49 p.m., 1/4/2014
(CNN) - MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry made a tearful apology to Mitt Romney’s family on her show Saturday, after she and a panel poked fun at a photo of the former Republican presidential candidate with his wife and 21 grandchildren by zeroing in on his adopted African-American grandson.
"Whatever the intent was, the reality is that the segment proceeded in a way that was offensive, and showing the photo in that context, of that segment, was poor judgment. So without reservation or qualification, I apologize to the Romney family," said the anchor at the open of her show, "Melissa Harris-Perry."
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
Harris-Perry became emotional as she went on to apologize to all "other families formed through transracial adoption," saying, "I am deeply sorry that we suggested that interracial families are in any way funny or deserving of ridicule."
She highlighted her own interracial background, as the daughter of an African-American man and a white Mormon woman. But, she said, families are always "off limits," and the Romneys' grandchildren should never have been a topic of discussion.
"Adults who enter into public life implicitly consent to having less privacy. But their families, and especially their children, should not be treated callously or thoughtlessly. My intention was not malicious, but I broke the ground rule that families are off limits, and for that I am sorry," she said.
Harris-Perry first apologized on Twitter and MSNBC's website Tuesday, offering a similar mea culpa "without reservation or qualification."
During the segment last Sunday, Harris-Perry asked a panel to come up with a caption for the Romney family photo, and two panelists made jokes about the infant standing out.
Actress Pia Glenn began singing lines from the song popularized by Sesame Street, "One of These Things Is Not Like the Others." Comedian Dean Obeidallah said the picture "really sums up the diversity of the Republican Party."
Obeidallah appears frequently on CNN and writes a regular opinion column for CNN.com.
Harris-Perry described the baby as "gorgeous" and joked that in 2040 he would marry North West, the daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
"Can you imagine Mitt Romney and Kanye West as in-laws?" she said, to laughs.
Criticism was swift across social media, with prominent Republicans from Sarah Palin to former Sen. Scott Brown weighing in.
A spokeswoman for Romney told CNN he was on a family vacation this week and unavailable for comment. On Sunday, Romney will appear on “Fox News Sunday,” where he is likely to be asked about the episode.
MSNBC has been in some hot water recently after a handful of their hosts have made controversial comments. Alec Baldwin and the network parted ways in November after his homophobic outburst against photographers, and Martin Bashir resigned in December for his suggestion that Sarah Palin deserved graphic punishment for comparing U.S. foreign debt to slavery.
–CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
- Pressure builds on Biden to act on guns in wake of Colorado mass shooting March 23, 2021 01:03 pm
- Sidney Powell argues in new court filing that no reasonable people would believe her election fraud claims March 23, 2021 12:15 pm
- Postmaster General set to announce 10-year plan including longer mail delivery times and cuts to post office hours March 23, 2021 12:02 pm
- Progressive group launches $3.2 million advertising buy to push federal voting law March 23, 2021 11:01 am
- US and allies announce sanctions against Chinese officials for 'serious human rights abuses' against Uyghurs March 23, 2021 10:32 am
- Analysis: Trump's army takes aim at 2022 touting his election lies March 23, 2021 05:01 am
Why has Rush Limbaugh not tearfully apologized to The Pope, all Democrats and women?
would they be this upset if a black man said it?
Boo hoo – fire her. All of the liberals constantly want every remotely conservative fired for MUCH less.
FIRE HER.
why is the baby sitting on his lap and not his adopted mother?
Worried about losing her job?
Boys dressed in blue, girls in pink.
looks political to me
is the grandson's name Token?
So basically, she wants to keep her job as one of the head racists at MSNBC
I believe that she's sincerely apologetic. But, I've had enough of this nasty news business. I rarely watch it on television on any network anymore, because it's all trash. Even the once substantive Sunday morning circuit is a bunch of garbage...a bunch of people making calculated, disingenuous, and ever-more outlandish appearances with each passing week.
Boo hoo, I am so sorry I got myself in this mess.
Again–if you are extreme right wing in this country;it seems you can say anything(check out FOX or far-right talk radio.But if you are on MSNBC or any liberal leaning out-let,Be damned if you fart side-ways,The double standards are ridiculus,Just check out almost ANYTHING said by the likes of Palin,Limbaugh,Beck,etc.You don't hear any apologies for the slime that regularly falls out of those mouths. Melissa Harris- Perry does a fine job on her show and is an outstanding journalist.Lay off haters!
Apology not accepted. Just another BS apology because they are in a position of apologize or be fired.
It's not a real apology when you are reading a script and the phony tears are not convincing. She is an out and out racist who should be fired. Let a white person say what she did and they would have been fired as soon as they got off the air. msnbc is a disgusting hate filled outlet for Obamacrats.
Give me a break!!!
MSNBC is totally unbelievable!
The FOX people say worst things day after day (remember calling Hillary Clinton a liar when she fell and got a concussion?) and the never apologize. Nobody at FOX has ever lost their job for saying offensive things!
MSNBC – you are stupid and you are allowing yourself to be railroaded by CNN and FOX News into getting rid of your best commentators!!! First Keith Olberman, then Martin Bashir... now Melissa????
Your management is stupid and clueless!!!
And spineless!!!!
Hypocrite.
It's time the newscasters focus on real news. The problems with our country have nothing to do with race. We need honest news on the facts not your opinion or views. We are a diverse nation and Americans as a whole want the best for all of its citizens.
Burn the witch! Appease the masses! Oops, take the wind out of the GOP's sails.
This is not this woman's first insertion of her foot in her mouth, nor her first exhibition of disgusting behavior. But all of it fits right in with msnbc's choice of programers.
Reading from a script is not a real apology and the phony tears are not convincing. She is an out and out racist who should be fired. If a white person would have said what she did they would have been fired as soon as the program ended.
The fact is that msnbc is a hate filled race baiting outlet for the Obamacrats.
You already apologized. Is it really necessary to do it again? You get the chance once more to talk about how you are biracial yourself? Or are you just afraid of losing your job and reputation?
Just another example how the "compassionate" liberals are accepting of other folks and ideologies. Hypocrites...
Melissa Harris-Perry is indeed the racist and bigot. "Can you imagine Mitt Romney and Kanye West as in-laws?" Her true colors are showing.
The really sad thing in all of this is that the media has focused on people like Alec Baldwin, Sarah Palin, and Mitt Romney, giving them far more importance than their achievements on behalf of mankind deserve.
I just ate a block of lard the size of Ed Schultz's head!