Politico reporter Marc Caputo apologized on Wednesday hours after after mocking the teeth of Trump supporters in a tweet that he later deleted.
After sharing footage of Trump supporters heckling CNN reporter Jim Acosta at a rally on Tuesday night in Tampa, Florida, Caputo dismissed the crowds by saying, “If you put everyone’s mouths together in this video, you’d get a full set of teeth.”
https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo/status/1024499487014875138
“I need to apologize for tweeting caustic remarks after seeing a reporter berated & abused. Hate begets hate,” he later wrote. “My comments referred ONLY to those jeering and swearing at the man, not a broad swath of people,” he said. “But the fault is mine for causing confusion and feeding anger.”
Caputo, who covers Florida for Politico, has been a fixture covering the state. He previously worked for the Miami Herald and grew up in Key West, according to his Politico profile.
He also produces the website’s Florida playbook newsletter.
As the tweet gradually filled with angry comments, Caputo initially doubled down and responded to critics in quote-tweeted replies.
“Snowflake has a sad,” Caputo said to one.
Snowflake has a sad https://t.co/ez5nffsof4
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) August 1, 2018
“We will always defend a fair and free press and support colleagues who are treated unfairly or in an abusive manner, but contributing to an already divisive environment with tweets such as this undermines that cause,” a rep for Politico told TheWrap. “This tweet does not meet our standards, and we’ve addressed it with Marc. We should all aspire to do better.”
However, that didn’t stop conservatives media personalities from ripping Caputo.
“This is so gross and this kind of statement is what so many in the middle of the country think the media thinks of them,” said The View co-host Meghan McCain.
“@politico should hold their reporters to a higher standard,” she added to ensure that Caputo’s media bosses would see it.
This is so gross and this kind of statement is what so many in the middle of the country think the media thinks of them. @politico should hold their reporters to a higher standard. https://t.co/LEDZBKq96g
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) August 1, 2018
Media: Why does America hate us?
Also Media: America is toothless. https://t.co/sTaP4gWtEk— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/Pooky25125006/status/1024652346100461569
https://twitter.com/JamesHasson20/status/1024636407061590016
https://twitter.com/PARISDENNARD/status/1024645375888687104
The Left loves nothing more than the artificial sense of elitist superiority they get when mocking the poor and pointing in disgust at the average American they deem 'uneducated' and too unsophisticated to be viewed as people.
Always the same. 🙄 https://t.co/3JVfb3QJA5
— Chad Felix Greene 🇮🇱 (@chadfelixg) August 1, 2018
.@Politico 's reporter for Florida folks!
I seriously can't believe why Trumpers think the media has it our for them; it's a real mystery why they don't have faith in journalists. https://t.co/Z5kKU4w5x1
— Arthur Boreman (yes, that Arthur Boreman) (@ArthurBoreman) August 1, 2018
Come on Marc. They are beyond classless but you don’t have to add to the very behavior you’re complaining about.
— David Bishop (@dlb100b) August 1, 2018
Caputo apologized for his remarks and deleted his tweet shortly after the publication of this article.
I need to apologize for tweeting caustic remarks after seeing a reporter berated & abused. Hate begets hate. My comments referred ONLY to those jeering and swearing at the man, not a broad swath of people. But the fault is mine for causing confusion and feeding anger. 1/3
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) August 1, 2018