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Matthews to De Blasio: Your Racist Joke Was a ‘Disaster’

April 11, 2016

MSNBC host Chris Matthews called New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s racially charged comedic exchange with Hillary Clinton a "disaster" Monday.

"Wow, by the way, whoever writes your jokes up there, get a new joke writer. The CP time, all that stuff, was a disaster," Matthews said. "It was a disaster."

At a dinner in New York City Sunday, de Blasio joked that he was late to endorse Clinton because he was running on "colored people’s time" or "CPT."

"I just have to say thanks for the endorsement, Bill. Took you long enough," Clinton said.

"Sorry Hillary, I was running on C.P. time," de Blasio said in response. His seemingly rehearsed remark was met with awkward silence from the audience.

Leslie Odom Jr., an actor from the musical Hamilton, responded to de Blasio’s joke with disapproval.

"That’s not – I don’t like jokes like that, Bill," Odom said.

Clinton tried to lessen the blow and said that de Blasio meant "cautious politician time."

"I’ve been there," Clinton said.

The uncomfortable exchange comes days after Bill Clinton’s confrontation with Black Lives Matters protesters at a campaign event for his wife.

The former president defended Hillary Clinton’s use of the term "super predators" in 1996 and stood by his 1994 crime bill, telling the protesters that they are "defending the people who killed the lives you say matter."

Clinton later said that he "almost" wanted to apologize for his remarks. The tense incident has been met with criticism from figures such as Rev. Al Sharpton, who said that it was "inappropriate" for the former president to be "lecturing" the protestors.