NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC says Mika Brzezinski's absence from "Morning Joe" on Thursday was not related to her apology for using a homophobic slur the day before in reference to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The morning show co-host had criticized Pompeo for comments he made to Fox News regarding the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Afterward, she apologized via Twitter, saying it was a "SUPER BAD choice of words."
An MSNBC spokesman said Brzezinski's absence Thursday was due to a long-planned family matter. Her Pompeo reference, which had drawn social media criticism, was not mentioned on the air.