Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered a brief explanation to what happened when she uttered a profanity in what appeared to be a hot-mic comment following a city alderman's message about inclusivity during Wednesday's City Council meeting.
"Sorry to disappoint the Twitter trolls, but my comment had nothing to do with anything that was actually going on in City Council," Lightfoot said in a press conference following the meeting. "I've explained that to Ald. [Rossana] Rodrigues-Sanchez. She understands that."
During the meeting, Rodriguez Sanchez expressed support for a resolution surrounding Black History Month.
"I also want to take a second to embrace the blackness in our Latino community that so many times, is swept aside and is denied and is rejected," she said. "We are Black, as well. Our community, our Puerto Rican community, for example, that in a lot of ways rejects and there's so much internalized racism in our culture, I want to take a second to embrace that blackness."
She ended her message by urging lawmakers to "continue to fight for a mor equitable and more just" space.
"I'm very grateful for the contributions of all Black people that have come before and I'm really thankful for all my colleagues and all the Black people that have contributed to make this city, a better place for all," she said.
As she ended her remarks, Lightfoot could be heard saying "You gotta be f***ing kidding me" before moving on.
Chicago Politics
It's not the first time Lightfoot has been captured on a hot mic.
In 2019, the mayor made headlines when she was caught on audio calling a member of the local Fraternal Order of Police a “clown” during a City Council meeting.
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Lightfoot ultimately acknowledged that remark in a press conference after the meeting, saying “It was not appropriate for me to say that out loud.”
