At the annual Inner Circle Show, where politicians put on comedy performances for charity, Hillary Clinton and NYC mayor Bill de Blasio cracked a joke about “C.P. time,” more commonly known as “colored people time,” a stereotype about African Americans showing up late.
After de Blasio introduced Clinton as his “homegirl,” Clinton thanked him for the endorsement.
“Took you long enough,” Clinton quipped, a reference to de Blasio’s chronic tardiness to city events as mayor.
“Sorry Hillary,” de Blasio said. “I was running on C.P. time.”
Also on stage was Leslie Odom, the African American actor who played the lead role in the broadway hit “Hamilton.”
“I don’t like jokes like that, Bill,” Odom said.
“Cautious politician time?” Clinton replied. “I’ve been there.”
The joke was mostly met with silence from the audience, and some consider it another race-related gaffe from the Clinton campaign.
Earlier this week, Bill Clinton was challenged by Black Lives Matter protesters on the passing of the 1994 crimes bill, which is blamed for massively increasing black incarceration.
Clinton doubled down, defending the crimes bill.
“I don’t know how you would characterize the gang leaders who got 13-year-old kids hopped up on crack and sent them out on the street to murder other African-American children,” Bill Clinton shot back. “Maybe you thought they were good citizens. She didn’t. You are defending the people who killed the lives you say matter. Tell the truth.”
Bill Clinton’s comments were widely considered a detriment to the Clinton campaign.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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