Today was a tough morning to be on the Morning Joe set. Mark Halperin was evidently less than enthused by the president’s performance at yesterday’s press briefing. He at first asked hosts Joe Scarborough and Mike Brzezinski if they were on a seven-second delay, and when it was confirmed, he said, “I thought he was a d**k yesterday.” However, it quickly became clear that the show’s crew was unable to delay it, so Halperin’s remark was broadcast, and he issued an apology later on the show. Here’s the clip, via Politico:
UPDATE: MSNBC has issued a statement denouncing Halperin’s remarks and has suspended him indefinitely. In his own statement, Halperin thinks the response is “totally approriate”:
Statement from MSNBC:
Mark Halperin’s comments this morning were completely inappropriate and unacceptable. We apologize to the President, The White House and all of our viewers. We strive for a high level of discourse and comments like these have no place on our air. Therefore, Mark will be suspended indefinitely from his role as an analyst.
Statement from Mark Halperin:
I completely agree with everything in MSNBC’s statement about my remark. I believe that the step they are taking in response is totally appropriate.
Again, I want to offer a heartfelt and profound apology to the President, to my MSNBC colleagues, and to the viewers. My remark was unacceptable, and I deeply regret it.