Former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill.) has been suspended from his radio show until further notice for using a series of racial slurs on air about the controversy surrounding the Washington Redskins nickname, he said in a string of tweets.
Walsh used the n-word on air before he was cut off on his show, which dumped into a commercial.
Walsh then tweeted about the issue, saying in a message on Twitter that he apparently couldn’t use certain words without being cut off.
Walsh served one term in Congress before he was defeated by Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) in 2012. While in Congress, he was known for fiery comments that sometimes drew accusations that he was crossing a line.
{mosads}Walsh told the Daily Herald he was not directing the remarks at anyone but was making a broader point and was testing the radio station. The Radio station did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“I don’t know how you can have the discussion without identifying the terms,” Walsh told the newspaper.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday canceled six Washington Redskins trademarks that include the team’s name, determining the term is disparaging to Native Americans.
Walsh said he is off the air until further notice, adding, “I hope they reconsider.”
He explained the incident in a series of tweets, some shown below:
— Update 3:15 p.m.
Walsh, later Friday, released a recording of his show and said he would be back on the air later in the day.