Time magazine’s editor-at-large was suspended indefinitely after delivering a below-the-belt blow to President Obama — calling the commander-in-chief “a d–k” this morning on live television.
Mark Halperin, appearing on MSNBC, said, “I thought [Obama] was a d–k yesterday.”
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Halperin made the comment on “Morning Joe,” referring to Obama’s conduct during a news conference on Wednesday at the White House where he had said he planned to tax the wealthy at a higher rate.
“I wanted to characterize how I thought the president behaved,” Halperin said, before unleashing the controversial comment.
Afterwards, he profusely apologized for uttering the slur.
Once the show was over, MSNBC wasted no time and promptly suspended Halperin.
“Mark Halperin’s comments this morning were completely inappropriate and unacceptable,” the cable news channel said in a statement. “We apologize to [President Obama], 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.”
In his own statement, Halperin said, “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.”
During the show, host Joe Scarborough, had hoped to prevent the comment from being broadcast live.
“Delay that. Delay that,” he said. “What are you doing? I can’t believe. … Did we delay that?”
Within minutes of uttering the comment, Halperin, who moonlights as a senior political analyst for MSNBC, apologized to Obama and the viewers.
“All joking aside, this is an absolute apology. I shouldn’t have said it. I apologize to the president and the viewers who heard me say that,” he said.
“We’re going to have a meeting after the show,” Scarborough added.
Later on during the show, Halperin again apologized.
“I can’t explain why I did it. It’s inappropriate, disrespectful. I’ve already apologized, and I will again to the president,” he groveled. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry to the viewers. t is disrespectful. What I said was disrespectful to the president and the office but it also lowers our discourse.”
Halperin, 46, is the co-author of “Game Change,” a behind-the-scenes account of the 2008 presidential election.
Halperin took to his Twitter account after the show, saying, “I want to offer a heartfelt and profound apology. …. My remark was not funny. I deeply regret it.”
Time magazine issued its own statement this afternoon, saying Halperin was “issued a warning” but not suspended from his job.
“Mark Halperin’s comments on air this morning were inappropriate and in no way reflective of Time’s views,” the magazine said. “We have issued a warning to him that such behavior is unacceptable.”
Asked about the comment at the White House daily press briefing, press secretary Jay Carney called the comment “inappropriate.”
“It would be inappropriate to say that about any president of either party, and on behalf of the White House, I expressed that sentiment to executives at the network,” Carney said.