Matthews on Burnett comments: "I was just kidding around"

Summary: The New York Post reported that Chris Matthews said "he was only fooling around with [CNBC anchor Erin] Burnett because the camera lens had already made her appear closer than usual." The article then quoted Matthews saying, "It was this weird fishbowl look . . . I was just kidding around."

A "Page Six" article in the August 14 edition of the New York Post said "[i]t sure looked" as if MSNBC host Chris Matthews was "perving on CNBC hottie Erin Burnett on live TV the other night" and reported that Matthews said "he was only fooling around with Burnett because the camera lens had already made her appear closer than usual." The article then quoted Matthews saying, "It was this weird fishbowl look . . . I was just kidding around."

As Media Matters for America noted, while discussing financial news with Burnett on the August 10 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, Matthews instructed her to "come in closer" to the camera. Matthews also said, "[Y]ou're beautiful" and "[y]ou're a knockout" before closing the interview by saying, "It's all right getting bad news from you."

The Post article quoted Burnett saying, "I wasn't upset or offended."

—R.C.