President Trump’s former deputy campaign manager made an appearance on Fox News this Sunday and made what many think was a racist dogwhistle to a black guest.
During a segment on Fox & Friends, David Bossie got into a heated exchange with Democratic strategist Joel Payne while debating immigration and other issues. At one point, the two discussed a Twitter post from former CIA Director Michael Hayden where he compared Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy to the Holocaust.
“You don’t have to be a golden retriever to hear all the dog whistles coming out of the White House these days,” Payne said, accusing Trump of using racist rhetoric to rally his base around immigration.
“You’re out of your cotton-picking mind,” Bossie told Payne.
“Cotton-picking mind?” Payne responded, almost jumping out of his seat.
“Brother, let me tell you something,” Payne continued. “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 out of my cotton-picking mind.”
Later in the show, Fox host Ed Henry apologized for Bossie’s remark.
“David Bossie used a phrase that clearly offended Joel Payne and offended many others,” Henry said. “I don’t know what David meant by it.”
“I want to make sure that Fox News and this show, myself ― we don’t agree with that particular phrase,” he continued. “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.”
Bossie apparently didn’t think it was such a big deal, and hasn’t responded to numerous outlets’ requests for comment.
Watch the exchange below:
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
