CNBC “Squawk Box” co-host Joe Kernen put his foot squarely in his mouth during Friday’s show when a light exchange about India’s currency turned tasteless, reports David Boroff of the New York Daily News.
Boroff writes, “Kernan, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin were discussing India’s central bank when Quick mentioned that she still had rupees left from a trip abroad.
“The conversation quickly devolved when she displayed a two rupee bills — a 50 and a 10.
“‘Gandhi’s on the rupee. Look at that,’ Sorkin said.
“Kernen repeatedly said ‘Gandhi’ in a bad Indian accent, but the conversation only deteriorated from there.
“‘No, I can’t do it. I was going to say something,’ Kernen said.”
Kernen then asked if Indians were good at Seven-11, and Quick told him that the comment was insulting. Kernen then apologized.
Read more here.
