Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., issued an apology late Sunday for a joke he told last week about a photo showing White House adviser Kellyanne Conway kneeling on a sofa in the Oval Office as President Trump met with leaders of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“After a discussion with people I know and trust, I understand the way my remarks have been received by many,” Richmond said in a statement.
The lawmaker went on to say he is a “champion” for women and that he would never want to say anything degrading about them.
“I have consistently been a champion for women and women’s issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them,” Richmond added. “I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive.”
Inbox: Statement from Rep. Cedric Richmond: “I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive.” pic.twitter.com/UB0feTyFA4
— Lissandra Villa (@LissandraVilla) March 6, 2017
Richmond told the joke at the Washington Press Club Foundation’s annual awards dinner on Wednesday. He reportedly spoke after Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who made a quip about “a whole lot worse” happening on that sofa in the 1990s, referring to former President Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Richmond then told the gathering of fellow lawmakers and journalists, “I really just want to know what was going on there,” referring to the picture of Conway. “I won’t tell anybody, and you can just explain to me that circumstance because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there.”
DEAFENING Silence from the #WomensMarch! #FakeFeminists VILE Dem@RepRichmond Says Kellyanne Conway Looks ‘Familiar’ Being On Her Knees! pic.twitter.com/z6b5RbGMZj— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) March 2, 2017
The remark immediately sparked a firestorm of backlash on social media, with many taking it as a sexual reference — which Richmond denied Thursday morning.
“Since some people have interpreted my joke to mean something that it didn’t I think it is important to clarify what I meant,” Richmond said. “Last night was night of levity. Where I grew up saying that someone is looking or acting ‘familiar’ simply means that they are behaving too comfortably. I decided to use that joke due to the large social media backlash over her inappropriate posture considering there were more than 60 HBCU presidents in the room.”
Several political figures weighed in on Richmond’s joke, including Conway herself.
Conway said there would have been stronger uproar from the press if she were a liberal woman, elabortating to the Daily Caller in a text: “not just if I were a liberal woman, but if I were a pro-abortion one.”
Others demanded an apology, including new RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “You may think this is funny, but it’s not. It’s disgusting & offensive,” she tweeted Thursday. “A snarky joke for you is just a reminder of the demeaning comments women hear every single day. And trust me, it happens to all women.”
She added: “Don’t ‘clarify,’ @RepRichmond – apologize. I’d suggest using Women’s History Month to lift us up instead of knocking us down.”
Even some Democrats spoke out against Richmond. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, called the joke “despicable” and called for an apology.
“Despicable. I hope @KellyannePolls receives the apology she deserves-certainly never thought I’d write that & I mean every word,” she tweeted.
Despicable. I hope @KellyannePolls receives the apology she deserves-certainly never thought I’d write that & I mean every word. https://t.co/NmvFwNL21d
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) March 3, 2017
