Here's video of the racist thing Cliven Bundy denied he ever said

Media Matters releases footage of the rebel rancher wondering aloud if African-Americans were happier as slaves

Published April 24, 2014 5:07PM (EDT)

Cliven Bundy                    (Reuters/Jim Urquhart)
Cliven Bundy (Reuters/Jim Urquhart)

During a Thursday appearance on conspiracy theory enthusiast Alex Jones' radio show, Cliven Bundy tried to lessen the damage to his reputation wrought by a New York Times report showing him to be almost comically racist by claiming the Times misquoted him.

"No, I did not say picking cotton," Bundy told Jones, according to an audio clip posted by journalist Adrian Chen. Bundy didn't deny he said all the other stuff quoted in the New York Times — about African-Americans hanging out on porches, blithely aborting babies, being less free than when they were slaves, etc. — but insisted he never brought up cotton.

There's a problem for Bundy, however — liberal media watchdog Media Matters has posted video of Bundy's rant, video in which he can be very clearly heard saying what he claims he never said:

So it looks like Bundy's going to have to try a different move in his doomed effort to preserve what's left of his reputation.


By Elias Isquith

Elias Isquith is a former Salon staff writer.

MORE FROM Elias Isquith


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Adrian Chen Alex Jones Cliven Bundy Cotton Media Matters Racism The New York Times Video