MSNBC Apologizes for Mistaking Ousted Navy Secretary for White Supremacist

MSNBC is apologizing for an on-air mishap Sunday morning regarding former Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer.

During Sunday’s AM Joy, Joy Reid was reporting on Spencer’s criticisms of President Donald Trump that he penned in his Washington Post op-ed after recently being fired by the Trump administration over the president’s decision to reverse the demotion of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher.

Though the network played a video centered on Spencer in their segment, the image showed a photo of white supremacist Richard Spencer instead. The latter made headlines last month after rival Milo Yiannopoulos leaked a tape on YouTube that he claimed contained audio of Spencer using racist slurs against Jews and African-Americans. The audio was allegedly recorded after the 2017 Charlottesville riots and features a recorded Spencer vowing to return to the Virginia town for future protests. 

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Quickly realizing the network’s mistake, Reid issued a correction before going to commercial break. 

“Earlier in this segment, as we were talking about former Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, we mistakenly showed the wrong image of white supremacist Richard Spencer. Very deeply sorry for that mistake,” she said. 

The moment circulated on Twitter, with users calling out MSNBC for its mistake.

MSNBC showed white supremacist Richard Spencer instead of former Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer. Joy Reid later issued an on-air correction. pic.twitter.com/BAZGTaoXl9

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) December 1, 2019

Watch the apology below.

CORRECTION: Earlier on #AMJoy as we were talking about former Navy secretary Richard Spencer we mistakenly showed the wrong image of white supremacist Richard Spencer. We are very, deeply sorry for that mistake. pic.twitter.com/l3QW2lNP0b

— AM Joy w/Joy Reid (@amjoyshow) December 1, 2019