A heated Fox & Friends debate took a nasty personal turn today, as a black Democrat’s opinion was attacked in a racially insensitive way.
David Bossie, a white former deputy campaign manager for President Trump, made the comment to analyst Joel Payne, a black man, during a discussion on immigration. The remark emerged as the two reacted to comments made by former CIA director Michael Hayden, who compared the Trump administration’s zero tolerance immigration policy with Nazis separating families at concentration camps.
“That liberal Michael Hayden, that screaming liberal Michael Hayden,” Payne said during the segment.
“You’re out of your cotton-picking mind,” Bossie retorted.
Payne took immediate offense and addressed it. “Cotton-picking mind? Brother, let me tell you something, I got some relatives who picked cotton and I’m not going to sit back and let you attack me on TV like that.”
At that point, moderator Ed Henry cut in, and after a commerical, said Fox News “and this show, myself,” do not agree “with that particular phrase.”
Bossie apologized in a tweet a few hours later.
“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.”
