By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The MSNBC co-host was slammed for insinuating Mike Pompeo was sexually submissive to the Saudi Crown Prince.
Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski stumbled on Wednesday when she used a casually homophobic expression to describe secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
In discussing Pompeo's soft-pedaling towards the Saudi Crown Prince's role in the murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Brzezinski insinuated the nation's top diplomat was the bottom to the prince's top.
"I understand that Donald Trump doesn't care ... But why doesn't Mike Pompeo care right now?" Brzezinski asked her co-host/partner Joe Scarborough. "Are the pathetic deflections that we just heard when he appeared on 'Fox & Friends,' is that a patriot speaking, or a wannabe dictator's butt boy? I'm dead serious. I'm asking, are these the words of a patriot?"
As The Hill points out, MSNBC tried to bleep out her verbiage but did not get it in time; "butt boy" is clearly audible.
Straight people denigrating others by insinuating they're gay is a common, though lazy and homophobic, practice. Twitter users explained to Brzezinski why her words were so offensive.
\u201cThis is a lesson. Prejudice isn't always obvious or intentionally hateful. It can be an "ally's" throwaway comment. The emotion Mika formed into words is the ingrained, basic heteronormative belief that a weak thing is synonymous with a gay thing. #Mika #LGBTQtwitter #gaytwitter\u201d— Afeef Nessouli (@Afeef Nessouli) 1544627842
Brzezinski apologized for her phrasing, including to a senator who appeared on Morning Joe during the "butt boy" comment.
\u201cTotally agree with you -SUPER BAD choice of words .. I should have said \u201cwater boy\u201d... like for football teams or something like that.. apologize to @SenatorDurbin too! SO SORRY!\u201d— Mika Brzezinski (@Mika Brzezinski) 1544623940
