Fox News Suspends David Bossie Over Racially Incendiary Remark: Report
David Bossie, former deputy campaign manager for President Trump, has been suspended by Fox News for two weeks over a comment he made on the Sunday edition of Fox & Friends to analyst Joel Payne, according to The Daily Beast.
Reacting to former CIA director Michael Hayden comparing the Trump administration’s zero tolerance immigration policy with Nazis separating families at concentration camps, Payne, who is black, said, “You don’t have to be a golden retriever to hear all the dog whistles coming out of the White House these days and from my friend David here.”
During back and forth, Bossie said to Payne, “You’re out of your cotton-picking mind.”
Shot back an angry Payne: “Cotton-picking mind? Brother, let me tell you something. I’ve got some relatives who picked cotton, and I’m not going to sit back and let you attack me on TV like that.”
After commercial break, show host Ed Henry said that Fox News, “and this show, and myself” do not subscribe to “that particular phrase.”
Bossie later apologized via Twitter, saying: “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.”
Fox News also had issued a statement: “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.”
Called for comment on the suspension report, Fox News would not comment beyond the statement.
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