On the May 9 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, recent CNN Headline News hire Glenn Beck disclosed that he had referred to Saudi Arabian “dirtbags” during an appearance on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. According to Beck, the network subsequently edited out his remarks.

Beck appeared on the May 8 edition of Anderson Cooper 360 to discuss the issue of illegal immigration. On his radio show the following day, while discussing his Anderson Cooper appearance with radio host Brian Whitman, Beck described 360 host, Anderson Cooper, as becoming “very rigid for a second” after Beck said, “We gotta get outta bed with these dirtbags in Saudi Arabia.” He went on to disclose that the remark was edited out of the segment and that a CNN producer later chided him for “throwing around that 'dirtbag' word.” Beck replied that the characterization was “honest,” and, on his show, added, “That's exactly what they are. The government in Saudi Arabia, they're dirtbags.” As for Cooper, Beck commented that “he's a little more responsible than I am.”

As Media Matters for America has noted, Beck recently described Mexico, apparently, as a “dirtbag country.”

Beck's new program premiered on May 8 on CNN Headline News (Media Matters documented the lowlights here).

From the May 9 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:

BECK: I think I scared Anderson Cooper last night. I was on with Anderson Cooper and they -- they edited some things out, and I was like, “What was wrong with that?” But we were talking about the immigration thing.

[...]

BECK: Yeah, last night, I was on with Anderson Cooper and they edited this part out because, you know, I kind of went into gas -- we were talking about immigration and I kind of went into gas and how they're kind of connected in a way --

WHITMAN: Right.

BECK: -- with the -- you know, with the way people think and, you know, and I noticed that his body went really tense and it just became very rigid for a second, and it didn't even occur to me what I said and I looked at him and I kind of like -- “What did I just say?” And, oh yeah, that's what it is, 'cause I said, “We gotta get outta bed with these dirtbags in Saudi Arabia.” And, you know, I -- when I walked out of the studio, one of the guys -- one of my producers said, “Oh, good. Yeah. Good, Glenn. Just keep throwing that 'dirtbag' word around.” And I said, “Look. You know what? It's honest.” That's exactly --

WHITMAN: Well, but, you know --

BECK: That's exactly what they are. The government in Saudi Arabia, they're dirtbags and --

WHITMAN: Yeah, I know, but -- some of your new colleagues at CNN, you know --

BECK: Are a little more politically --

WHITMAN: Right.

BECK: Yes.

WHITMAN: And you say -- you say, you know, dirtbags in Saudi Arabia and Anderson Cooper gets rigor mortis.

BECK: Well, he's a little more responsible than I am.