(LibertyInsider.org) – A Fox News analyst is facing a storm of criticism after making inflammatory comments during a live segment of the broadcast channel’s sports analysis program First Things First. Chris Broussard was in the middle of a heated debate about James Harden’s recent trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, but he unexpectedly unleashed an offensive and derogatory term.
The exchange began when fellow panelist Nick Wright predicted that Harden’s trade would likely fail because the NBA player wouldn’t fit in. Broussard wholeheartedly agreed, asking Wright, “…is the man r*tarded ?” he asked.
The camera immediately shifted to a close-up of Kevin Wilde, who raised a single eyebrow toward the camera. Wright, however, quickly admonished Broussard, saying, “You shouldn’t use that word.” Wilde, for his part, continued to quietly drink his coffee, perhaps trying to opt out of the whole mess unfolding in front of him.
Broussard refrained from immediately apologizing. Instead, he doubled down, calling Harden “developmentally disabled” instead. Then, he steamrolled forward and tried to redirect the conversation, leaving his co-hosts nearly speechless.
Wright, attempting to finally speak up, initially stumbled over his words. When he managed to recompose himself, the co-host lashed out at Broussard’s choice of words. “I didn’t know what you were going say tonight,” he said. “I’m–I’m shocked. This is not going to work.”
Broussard immediately interjected, apologizing for using that word. But what came out of his mouth next felt even more shocking than his original faux pas. “My first cousin… we put him to— he just died a few months ago. He was developmentally disabled.”
The sports analyst apologized to everyone tuning in next. Wright praised him for owning up to the slur and said he didn’t believe viewers would condemn him over the lapse in judgment.
Unfortunately for Broussard, Wright’s forecast missed the mark significantly. The backlash from fans and the broader public was immediate and relentless. Calls for accountability swiftly spread across platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter.
Fans expressed as much shock over the sports analyst’s poor use of language as they were by his lackluster apology after the fact. Several users criticized him for failing to be more cautious while live on the air. Others called on Fox to take him off of the air altogether.
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