Cleveland Radio Announcer Fired for Calling Senator Kamala Harris ‘First Colored Vice Presidential Candidate’

A radio announcer has been relieved from his duties at the radio station he worked at because he referred to Senator Kamala Harris as America’s “first colored vice presidential candidate,” according to Fox News.

26-year-old radio announcer Kyle Cornell had made the reference during the broadcast of a Cleveland Indians baseball game this past Wednesday on WTAM 1100. During the broadcast, Cornell said, “The U.S. officially has its first colored vice presidential candidate. More coming up after the game on Newsradio WTAM 1100 Cleveland.”

“We are aware of the reference made on WTAM by Kyle Cornell,” Ray Davis, the station’s program and promotions director said in a written statement. “We take this matter very seriously and addressed it immediately. The term used is extremely offensive and does not align with our station’s core values and commitment to the communities we serve. He is no longer with WTAM.”

WKYC spoke to Cornell and he stated he wasn’t trying to be malicious with his description of Harris.

“I wasn’t trying to be malicious or in any way decimate the character or anything like that,” Cornell said. “That was never the goal. And for that, I am truly sorry.”

He then made sure he apologized to the radio station. 

“For the station of WTAM too, I feel awful for putting them through what they’ve had to go through over the past 24 hours…I

just want them to understand it was a rough choice to make and that I accept my punishment and know that I still love and care about everyone at the station, wish them well and I hope that they can forgive me for making a judgment in error and something that I know is not me.”

The attacks against Senator Harris have been plentiful since the announcement by Biden of selecting her as his running mate on the upcoming election.