Watch Morning Joe's squeamish report on the sexual harassment allegations against 'our friend Mark Halperin'

Morning Joe.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/Matthew Gertz/MSNBC)

MSNBC's Morning Joe team was clearly uncomfortable reporting Thursday on allegations by five women against political analyst Mark Halperin, a regular on the show. The women claim Halperin sexually harassed them when he was political director at ABC News:

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"CNN is reporting allegations regarding our friend Mark Halperin during his time at ABC News over a decade ago, unnamed sources detailing unwanted advances and inappropriate behavior," co-host Mika Brzezinski carefully explained.

Halperin apologized Wednesday night, admitting: "I did pursue relationships with women that I worked with, including some junior to me." He added, "I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize."

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By Thursday, Halperin was out at NBC: "We find the story and the allegations very troubling," the network said in a statement to Fox News. "Mark Halperin is leaving his role as a contributor until the questions around his past conduct are fully understood."

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