Liz Trotta 'Apologizes' on Fox for 'Joke' About Killing Obama

A day after she had referred to Barack Obama as "Osama' and quipped that both of them should get bumped off, Fox News contributor Liz Trotta was given an opportunity today to offer a "clarification," as host Bill Hemmer put it.

After talking for a couple of minutes about Hillary Clinton's own "backtracking" on her comment about the Robert F. Kennedy assassination on Friday, Hemmer noted that "some people" were "criticizing you" for her Osama/Obama remark on Sunday.

Trotta said she was sorry, while also suggesting her remark was nothing particularly unusual or awful in this campaign year.

She said, " Oh yes, I am so sorry about what happened yesterday and the lame attempt at humor. I fell all over myself, making it appear that I wished Barack Obama harm or any other candidate, for that matter, and I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I have offended. It is a very colorful political season"-- she chuckled at this point--"and many of us are making mistakes and saying things we wish we had not said."

Hemmer replied: "Clarification noted."

Appearing on Fox News on Sunday, Trotta, a former editor with the Washington Times and broadcast TV journalist, was asked by the host, Eric Shawn, about the Clinton controversy and the 2008 race. This led Trotta to refer to the Clinton misstep.

Trotta, according to the now widely-circulated video, replied, "And now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama, uh Obama. Well, both, if we could." She laughed.

The host, Shawn, clearly understanding how far she had gone, quickly commented: "Talk about how you really feel."
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Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq (Union Square Press, $11). He is editor of Editor & Publisher.

Comments

[AlexVonHussein]

The least she could have done is apologize to Michelle Obama, she is woman,...a­nd thats her reality every day..that the father of her children may not come home...hav­e women lost their conscience.

[Lonestarmom]

Not much of an apology...­since when has a sincere I am sorry been so hard to give? Oh yes...when you really aren't sorry. She is just glad to be the center of attention for a moment albeit bad attention. Just stop watching FOX!

[AJinCamden]

Lame.

[Malkintent]

Hey Liz, thanks for clarifying your "attempt at humor" regarding the murder of an African-American presidential candidate. Can't wait until Olbermann trashes this creep.

[oldwiseone]

The problem is that I for one have worried for months if history will again repeat itself and what was to be a positive change for America is once again taken away from us. Look at what has replaced it. THis is not the America I grew up in. This is the kind of country I joined the military to protect us against. And if the worst happens I don't think America will ever recover. Readers should use the Internet and research the key players. The results of such research are scary.

[KitChandler]

AMEN (with tears)

[Mike O.]

You may not recover, but America will be fine. Get a grip. Obama is not a god. He is a crooked politician from the home of crooked politics.

Stop worrying. There is no reason for anyone to harm him. Everyone knows he's going to lose to McCain in November anyway and then fade into insignificance.

[Anonymiss]

So calling for the assassination of a sitting US senator is all right with you because of you think of him and where he's from? I'm no fan of Dubya but there'd be no justification if he were treated the same way as Obama.

[pattyrenee]

Fox News should fire Liz Trotta now. Her sorry excuse is worthless. Imus was fired for much, much, less. Trotta called for the killing of Obama. How much worse can it get that that? No excuse. could ever be enough. Obama is a Presidential candidate. This should be illegal and be looked into by the Secret Service.

[Syco]

why???
its not like they thought it was wrong.

it was probably scripted

[byrdland49]

Quite an apology. You can tell how sincerely Liz Trotta regrets her comments. Yeah right. Man how low will these "people" sink?

[AnotherunhappyDemocrat]

Had it not been for the final bit (many of us are making these kinds of mistakes), her apology would have been very good. Why can't people just say "look, I goofed and I am sorry", without all these lame qualifiers?

[BethStuart]

Rupert Murdoch has to understand the price he'll pay if Trotta stays on his payroll.

[pattyrenee]

Liz Trotta should be fired now. That was an awful comment. No one should equate Obama with Osama and say they should "both" be killed. Fox News is off my TV until she is gone.
Actually, Fox News was never on my TV anyway. due to this type of broadcasting.