This is what bad optics looks like.
Tweeters were taken aback this afternoon when they thought they heard Toronto mayor Rob Ford issue a death threat under his breath:
Did #Rob#Ford just utter "oh, I'll kill em" while in the speaker chair with the mic on? between 3:20 and 3:23pm 11.18.13 #topoli
— Nameless Transguy (@ftmtrans) November 18, 2013
OMG. Did I just hear Rob Ford say "No I'll kill him" as he turned away from the speaker mike. Did anyone else hear that? #TOpoli
— O Cinneide (@0cinneide) November 18, 2013
https://twitter.com/acoyne/status/402535530367557632
https://twitter.com/drsyxu/status/402532441157423104
@KatieSimpson24 Did Rob Ford mutter "Ugh, I'll kill him!" under his breath about 8 minutes ago? The camera was on him & I heard it. #TOpoli
— Douglas Connors (@calmecam) November 18, 2013
Rob Ford in Speaker's chair just said "I'll kill him" #TOpoli
— Talisman Belgraves (@Belgraves) November 18, 2013
Rob Ford said "no,no,no, I'll kill him." #TOpoli
— Gerry Merchant (@tablogloid) November 18, 2013
https://twitter.com/evilpye510/status/402532311704403968
https://twitter.com/FallOnYourKeys/status/402532596166692865
I heard that too RT @drsyxu: Did Rob Ford just say "I'll kill him" while in the speakers chair???? Did I hear that correctly? #TOpoli
— Scott Dobson (@ScottDobsonic) November 18, 2013
Just another day in #RobFord's Toronto RT @acoyne: So we have multiple witnesses who heard the mayor threaten to kill somebody on live TV.
— Stephen Wicary (@wicary) November 18, 2013
Of course, it may very well just be an issue of context:
Rob Ford said from the chair "Naw, I'll kill him." on mic at the Council Meeting… I think/hope he was talking about a councillor's mic…
— Dan DeMarbre (@DanDeMarbre) November 18, 2013
Let’s hope so. Shame Ford’s woes didn’t end there:
So I just watched the mayor of Toronto sprint through the chamber, yell at voters and knock over a older female council member. That is all.
— jennifer steinhauer (@jestei) November 18, 2013
Rob Ford just bodied an older Toronto city council member during the meeting http://t.co/KfoqZtVV0T
— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) November 18, 2013
Oof.
How did Rob Ford not see that woman? She was right there.
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) November 18, 2013
For what it’s worth, Ford at least apologized for his run-in with the councilwoman:
Ford just apologized to the councilor he took out: "It was a complete accident, I do sincerely apologize to you, Councillor McConnell."
— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) November 18, 2013
Today's Rob Ford quote: "I apologize to anyone I accidentally hit when my brother was in an altercation over there” http://t.co/GxWxnwtw7P
— Ben Pershing (@benpershing) November 18, 2013
Unfortunately for him, it may be too late to say “I’m sorry.”
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