Nearly a month after his infamous comments in which he said Sarah Palin deserved to have someone defecate in her mouth, Martin Bashir has resigned from MSNBC.
In an e-mail, Bashir explained that he asked for additional time off following his apology for the comments, according to Mediaite. “Upon further reflection, and after meeting with the president of MSNBC, I have tendered my resignation,” he said, calling his remarks a “distraction” and “ill-judged.” He also made sure to apologize to his colleagues at his former network:
“I deeply regret what was said, will endeavor to work hard at making constructive contributions in the future and will always have a deep appreciation for our viewers – who are the smartest, most compassionate and discerning of all television audiences. I would also wish to express deepest gratitude to my immediate colleagues, and our contributors, all of whom have given so much of themselves to our broadcast.”
Over the past two weeks, Bashir had been absent from his show and other MSNBC contributors had filled in during that time. MSNBC refuted murmurs that Bashir had been suspended, saying that he was on a pre-planned vacation.
In a statement, as reported by Politico’s Dylan Byers, MSNBC president Phil Griffin called Bashir “a good man and respected colleague.” He thanked Bashir for his three years at the network and wished him the best in future endeavors.