While debating Donald Trump’s immigration policy that has enraged much of the country for the past week, his former campaign official told a Black Democratic strategist on Sunday that he was out of his “cotton-picking mind” on Fox News. It later prompted Fox and Friends host Ed Henry to apologize for the racist overtones.
David Bossie, who was Trump’s deputy campaign manager, was in a heated debate with fellow panelist Joel Payne on Sunday when Bossie said that the Democratic party is “so angry and hate-filled toward the border patrol agents, toward police officers, toward ICE agents.”
The Trump campaign was under immense fire this week for its zero-tolerance immigration policy that has led to the separation of thousands of young kids from their parents. Payne responded to Bossie by calling the White House racist, telling Bossie, “You started the segment saying progressive and Democrats and the left are attacking the president, calling him a racist. No. They’re just calling him out. You don’t have to be a Golden Retriever to hear all the dog whistles coming out of the White House these days.”
Responded Bossie, “You’re out of your cotton-picking mind.”
That remark angered Payne who said, “Brother, let me tell you something, I got some relatives who picked cotton and I’m not going to sit here and allow you to attack me like that on TV. I’m not of my ‘cotton-picking mind.’ You better watch your mouth.”
A few seconds later, Bossie rephrased his comment, saying “You’re out of your mind.”
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
After a commercial break, Henry said, “Fox News and this show, myself, we don’t agree with that particular phrase.”
Bossie’s phrase comes on the heels of another former Trump surrogate, Corey Lewandowski, mocking a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome who had been separated from her family at the border.
Update 1:44pm CT: Bossie has apologized on Twitter, and Fox News has condemned his remarks.
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
From a Fox News spokesperson, “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.”
Said Henry in his full statement: “Alright I just want to address what just happened in that debate. Obviously, it got fiery. David Bossie used a phrase that clearly offended Joel Payne, and it offended many others. I don’t know what David meant by it. It went back and forth between the two of them. I’ve known David a long time, I’ll let him address exactly what he said, but I want to make clear Fox News and this show, myself, we don’t agree with that particular phrase. It was obviously offensive, and these debates get fiery. That’s unfortunate. We like to have honest and spirited debates but not phrases like [that] obviously and so I will just leave it at that.
H/T Business Insider