Fox News anchor John Roberts tried to make a funny about Chris Christie's weight today, suggesting in a dumb, rambling, near-incoherent joke that the former New Jersey governor can guzzle down one helluva milkshake.
"… And judging by Chris Christie's physical stature, he could drink a lot of that milkshake if he wanted to," went the punchline. To which his co-anchor, Gillian Turner, responded with a simple "Ouch." (See full joke transcription at bottom of post.)
It was soon apparent, however, that the fat-shaming wisecrack wasn't going to fly, even at a backbiting network such as Fox. Complaints must have rolled in, because later in the show a suddenly deflated Roberts made an on-air apology.
Apology transcribed by Mediaite:
I just want to take a moment to address something, because I really do feel terrible about it," he began. "Earlier on the show, I was making an analogy to describe the Republican voter pool, and I made a comment that I meant to be light-hearted, but I immediately realized was hurtful toward Governor Chris Christie. I should not have said what I said. I deeply regret it and I sincerely apologize to the governor.
Watch Roberts stick his Fox paw in his mouth, along with his apology, in the video below, posted by Lis Power.
Roberts' joke transcribed by Mediaite:
We wonder about the net effect on the race, and to use a modification of a metaphor we were using on the panel earlier today. It's like, you have two milkshakes, right. If the Republican Party is two milkshakes, and this one representing almost half the party — because that's what the polling shows — has got one straw in it, and that's Donald Trump's straw.
And the other milkshake, which represents the non-Donald Trump part of the Republican Party, has how many straws in it now? And now we're gonna have Chris Christie's straw in there, and judging by Chris Christie's physical stature, he could drink a lot the milkshake if he wanted to. But you're not affecting the Donald Trump milkshake.
Front page thumbnail image: Fox News
