MSNBC’s official Twitter account deleted a tweet last night that suggested conservatives wouldn’t like a new Cheerios commercial featuring an interracial family set to air during the Super Bowl.
“Maybe the rightwing will hate it, but everyone else will go awww: the adorable new #Cheerios ad w/ biracial family,” read the tweet, which linked to an MSNBC.com story on the new ad.
Earlier, this account tweeted an offensive line about the new Cheerios ad. We deeply regret it. It does not reflect the position of msnbc.
— msnbc (@msnbc) January 30, 2014
We are deleting the earlier offensive tweet. It does not reflect msnbc’s position and we apologize.
— msnbc (@msnbc) January 30, 2014
The tweet was playing off the 2013 firestorm created over a similar Cheerios ad with the same interracial family. That ad generated such vile reaction online, the YouTube comments section was closed.
We’ve reached out to MSNBC for comment, but did not immediately get a response.
>Update: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has sent MSNBC President Phil Griffin a letter informing him he has banned RNC officials from appearing on MSNBC until Griffin personally and publicly apologizes.
>Update: MSNBC has fired the author of the tweet, and Phil Griffin has apologized to Reince Priebus.