Ben Jealous is facing some backlash after he dropped the f-word when responding to a reporter's question on Wednesday.
Jealous has since then sent out three tweets to say he's sorry to Washington Post reporter Erin Cox for using the f-word, and to go on record again that he does not consider himself a socialist, but rather a venture capitalist.
I want to apologize to @ErinatThePost for my inappropriate language in response to her question earlier today.
As a former journalist, I know how important it is for a free society to respect reporters and answer their questions honestly.
— Ben Jealous for Governor (MD) (@BenJealous) August 8, 2018
— Ben Jealous for Governor (MD) (@BenJealous) August 8, 2018
Jealous is running against incumbent Republican Governor Larry Hogan in November. During a news conference on Wednesday, Cox asked him about Republicans running attack ads against him calling him a far-left socialist.
According to the Post, the attacks stem from Jealous working closely with Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. Sanders identified himself as a Democratic Socialist.
Jealous' initial response to Cox was he almost fell out of his chair when he saw the ads. He then went on to explain how he thinks of himself as a venture capitalist who likes to invest in growing businesses.
But that answer wasn't enough for Cox, who pressed him to answer the question outright - if he would call himself a socialist. And that's when jealous responded, "Are you f***ing kidding me?"
Cox said she didn't think jealous was cursing at her that it was just clearly how he feels about being called a socialist.
And while Jealous tries to move on from this, Republicans are running with it. The Republican Governors Association called him "Unhinged and unfit to be governor" on its Twitter page, and it will likely appear in a new crop of attack ads.
