MSNBC’s Brian Williams suffered an on-air gaffe Monday and referred to the Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson as a “communist,” when he really meant to say, “columnist.”
The moment occurred shortly after President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro concluded a joint press conference.
“Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, Pulitzer-prize winning communist…” Williams started to say before he realized what he had done. “Communist, wow.”
Robinson responded, “Communist! Thanks Brian.”
“Columnist,” the MSNBC anchor stressed. “You are not, in fact, a communist — you are a friend of ours, and a Pulitzer-prize winning columnist with the Washington Post. Eugene, thank you.”
The press conference earlier that afternoon focused mostly on the United States loosening its restrictions on Cuba.
