MSNBC has admitted airing footage of the wrong black congressman while reporting on the death of Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings.
“Earlier when reporting on the death of Rep. Alcee Hastings, we showed video of Rep. Bennie Thompson,” the network’s Hailie Jackson tweeted Tuesday of the mistake on her 10 a.m. show, “Hailie Jackson Reports.”
“We deeply regret the error,” she tweeted.
Jackson again apologized for the live on-air blunder Wednesday, saying the mistake “should never have happened.”
“We are sorry it did. Congressman Hastings served the state of Florida for nearly three decades and the House and deserves a tribute worthy of that service,” the host said.
Hastings, a former federal judge, announced two years ago that he had pancreatic cancer. He died Tuesday, aged 84.
Thompson, a Democratic congressman from Mississippi, does not appear to have commented about the mix-up, although he has tweeted tributes to Hastings, calling his death “a tragic day.”
Despite the apology, the left-leaning network was ripped online — with William Phillips replying to Jackson that the “lazy” news team likely thinks black people “all look alike.”
“Stop acting woke and hire diverse people so this stops,” Phillips wrote.
Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty said her late colleague deserved better.
“Congressman Alcee Hastings served in Congress for nearly 30 yrs yet media doesn’t have the respect to post the correct image when reporting on his passing,” she tweeted.
“Intentional or not it reflects a lack of respect.”
