A comic gag by Hillary Clinton and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio at an annual satirical event triggered a social media storm over perceived insensitivity to African-Americans.
Clinton and de Blasio took the stage on Saturday at the Inner Circle, a media roast of politicians that traditionally ends with New York’s mayor delivering a snarky rebuttal in the form of a rehearsed skit, often with the help of Broadway cast members.
This year Leslie Odom Jr., who is black and plays Aaron Burr in the hit Broadway show Hamilton, participated in the planned joke. In the skit, Clinton kidded de Blasio about his delay in endorsing her bid for the White House.
“Sorry, Hillary, I was running on C.P. Time,” de Blasio said, referring to the phrase “colored people time” used to indicate chronic lateness.
“I don’t like jokes like that,” Odom said.
Clinton then added: “‘Cautious politician time.’ I’ve been there.”
The joke quickly led to an angry reaction on social media, with commentators criticizing Clinton and de Blasio for being insensitive to black people. De Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, is African-American.