Fox News contributor David Bossie offered a full apology on Sunday after he told an African-American guest on “Fox & Friends” that he was out of his “cotton picking” mind.
“During a heated segment on Fox & Friends today, I should have chosen my words more carefully and never used the offensive phrase that I did,” said Bossie in a tweet. “I apologize to Joel Payne, Fox News and its viewers.”
During a heated segment on Fox & Friends today, I should have chosen my words more carefully and never used the offensive phrase that I did. I apologize to Joel Payne, Fox News and its viewers.
— David Bossie (@David_Bossie) June 24, 2018
The moment took place on “Fox & Friends” on Sunday. The guest, Democratic strategist Joel Payne, reacted with immediate outrage.
“Cotton-picking mind? Brother, let me tell you something,” he said. “I got some relatives who pick cotton and I’m not going to sit here and allow you to attack me like that on TV. I’m not out of my cotton-picking mind”
You can watch the moment, first captured by journalist Yashar Ali, below.
On Fox News, David Bossie, former Trump Deputy Campaign Manager, telling a black panelist that he's "out of his cotton-picking mind." pic.twitter.com/wpoqHKbINw
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) June 24, 2018
While Fox News sometimes ignores racial remarks on their airwaves — like contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy’s observations about black people and housing projects — it swiftly moved to distance itself from Bossie.
“David Bossie’s comments today were deeply offensive and wholly inappropriate. His remarks do not reflect the sentiments of FOX News and we do not in any way condone them,” a spokesperson told TheWrap. The network declined to say whether Bossie would face any on-air consequences.