Mika Brzezinski, a co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” apologized on Friday for using what she called "crass and offensive" language to describe Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"Please allow me to say this face-to-face," she said live at the top of the 6 a.m. ET show. "The term is crass and offensive and I apologize to everybody, especially the LGBTQ community and to my colleagues."
She added: "I just wanted to say on camera, looking people straight in the eye: I am really, really sorry."
Brzezinski made the offensive remark during a segment on Wednesday about the alleged culpability of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
She had criticizing Pompeo's recent appearance on Fox News in which he avoided questions about Prince Mohammed.
Khashoggi’s death sparked widespread outrage, especially after the CIA concluded the prince had ordered the killing, prompting even some Trump allies to say the White House was downplaying the young royal's involvement.
“Are the pathetic deflections that we just heard, when [Pompeo] appeared on 'Fox & Friends,' is that a patriot speaking, or a wannabe dictator’s butt boy?" Brzezinski asked. "Dead serious, I’m asking. Are these the words of a patriot?”
Brzezinski’s comments drew criticism from President Donald Trump and the U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, who is openly gay.
She apologized later on Wednesday via Twitter, saying she used a "SUPER BAD choice of words."
On Thursday, Trump tweeted that Brzezinski was not being held to the same standards as conservative commentators who have been criticized for homophobic rhetoric.
Grenell tweeted, "Your words demean, mock and therefore try to control whole groups by minimizing our humanity."
