White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said President Obama and the Senate Democrats have “100 percent, absolute confidence” in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid following the publication of old comments Reid made on Obama’s race.
“What’s important is not what was said a year ago, it’s the challenges they are facing here today in the country,” Emanuel said, appearing on the new MSNBC show “The Daily Rundown.”
The defense of Reid comes after weekend revelations that the majority leader talked about Obama being “light-skinned” and not having a “Negro dialect” and his private support for Obama during the 2008 presidential primary.
Reid (D-NV) has apologized to the president and Obama said the “book is closed” on the matter, but Republicans are calling for Reid’s resignation.
Emanuel said Obama believes the comments were “unfortunate” but accepts Reid’s apology.
“He knows Harry Reid, he trusts Harry Reid,” Emanuel said, adding the caucus also shares that confidence.
Here’s the clip:
