On Tuesday, all three network morning shows surprisingly hit Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for making a “racially charged joke” during a failed comedy skit at a press dinner.
On NBC’s Today, reporter Kristen Welker announced: “The candidate is coming under fire, after she and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio made what some saw as a racially charged joke at a press dinner.” De Blasio joked he was late to endorse Clinton because he was on “CP time.” Welker explained the reference: “CP time also referring to the slang term, ‘colored people,’ a stereotype that African-Americans are typically late.”
After a soundbite ran of de Blasio defending the skit, Welker noted: “Now just this morning, the Clinton campaign telling me they agree with Mayor de Blasio, that there was never an intention to offend anyone.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, correspondent Cecilia Vega declared: “But this morning, it is one of Clinton's New York events that’s making big headlines. Taking the stage over the weekend with Mayor Bill de Blasio....Their comedy skit drawing groans from the audience.”
The headline on screen read: “Clinton Comedy Firestorm; Skit With NYC Mayor Sparks Outrage.”
Vega concluded: “And de Blasio's office says the only person this comment was meant to mock was the Mayor, that no one intended to offend anyone. The only official comment that we've received from Hillary Clinton's team is in response to that de Blasio comment, saying, Robin, ‘We agree with the Mayor.’”
While NBC and CBS only offered minute-long mentions of controversy during their political reports, CBS This Morning actually devoted a full two-minute segment to the topic. Co-host Norah O’Donnell proclaimed: “Hillary Clinton faces new backlash this morning because New York City’s mayor told an off-color joke....The joke, using an African-American stereotype, fell flat....the New York Daily News calls it, quote, ‘Skit for Brains.’”
Correspondent Nancy Cordes observed: “Well, today actually marks the one-year anniversary of Clinton's campaign, but this is probably not how she planned to be celebrating, working overtime to fend off a challenger in the state she represented and getting attention for a racially charged joke that some found offensive.”
The on-screen headline stated: “Skit Hits the Fan; Clinton Faces Backlash Over Racially Charged Joke.”
Cordes highlighted: “The skit was panned as ‘awkward,’ ‘painful,’ and ‘cringeworthy.’ But de Blasio, who's wife is black, said it was meant to mock him, no one else.”
Minutes later, substitute co-host Dana Jacobson asked Bloomberg Politics managing editor John Heilemann: “...we saw the off-color joke told by Bill de Blasio. I should say ‘joke’ in the sense that people didn't find it funny....Will we see any impact on Hillary Clinton because of that?”
Heilemann promptly dismissed the issue: “No....it’s one of those things that everybody will make a lot of hay of for about 24 hours and when voting comes next Tuesday, no one's going to go into the voting booth and say, ‘I'm not going to vote for Hillary Clinton because Bill de Blasio made some dumb joke.’”
Here is a full transcript of the April 12 report from Cordes:
7:00 AM ET TEASE:
NORAH O’DONNELL: Hillary Clinton feels the heat from a racially charged joke told by the mayor of New York City.
7:08 AM ET SEGMENT:
NORAH O’DONNELL: Hillary Clinton faces new backlash this morning because New York City’s mayor told an off-color joke. The two of them were on stage at a fundraiser where New York politicians and reporters roast each other. The joke, using an African-American stereotype, fell flat. The Mayor says he was making fun of himself. But this morning, the New York Daily News calls it, quote, “Skit for Brains.” Nancy Cordes is in Washington tracking the fallout ahead of the New York primary. Nancy, good morning.
NANCY CORDES: Good morning. Well, today actually marks the one-year anniversary of Clinton's campaign, but this is probably not how she planned to be celebrating, working overtime to fend off a challenger in the state she represented and getting attention for a racially-charged joke that some found offensive.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Skit Hits the Fan; Clinton Faces Backlash Over Racially Charged Joke]
BILL DE BLASIO: My home girl, Hillary!
CORDES: The skit, at a political dinner in New York, starred Clinton, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Leslie Odom Jr., one of the stars of the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton.
HILLARY CLINTON: Thanks for the endorsement, Bill. Took you long enough.
[APPLAUSE]
CORDES: This was the part that made waves.
DE BLASIO: Sorry, Hillary. I was running on CP time.
LESLIE ODOM JR. [ACTOR, HAMILTON]: I don't like jokes like that, Bill. That’s not funny.
CORDES: CP time is shorthand for “colored people time,” slang some African-Americans use for being late. Clinton joked that it stood for something else.
CLINTON: Cautious Politician Time. I’ve been there.
CORDES: The skit was panned as “awkward,” “painful,” and “cringeworthy.” But de Blasio, who's wife is black, said it was meant to mock him, no one else.
DE BLASIO: It was clearly a staged show, it was a scripted show, every actor involved, including Hillary Clinton and Leslie Odom Jr., thought it was a joke on a different convention. That was the whole idea of this.
CORDES: The Clinton campaign says it agrees with the Mayor, but other than that, the campaign has had no comment. It is not, Charlie, though, all bad news for Clinton on her one-year anniversary. Two new polls in New York show her leading Sanders, one by 12 points, the other by 14.
CHARLIE ROSE: Thank you, Nancy.
