MSNBC's Chris Matthews joked about giving Hillary Clinton a 'Bill Cosby pill' before he interviewed her in 2016

Before interviewing Hillary Clinton in January 2016, MSNBC's Chris Matthews joked about slipping the then-Democratic presidential candidate a date rape drug, The Cut reported Friday.

The Cut obtained background footage of Matthews preparing to interview Clinton on Jan. 5, 2016, inside a fire station in Iowa. The former secretary of state was appearing for a segment on his show, Hardball with Chris Matthews. In the clip, as a staffer pours him water, Matthews asks, "Where's that Bill Cosby pill I brought with me?"

The host then breaks into a satisfied smile as the man sitting across from him shakes his head and laughs. To the far-right of the frame, you can see a female staffer walk away, mouth agape after Matthews' remark.

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In response to the story, Matthews told The Cut: "This was a terrible comment I made in poor taste during the height of the Bill Cosby headlines. I realize that's no excuse. I deeply regret it and I'm sorry." In December 2015, disgraced comedian Bill Cosby was charged with sexual assault after being accused of sexually assaulting more than 50 women and using drugs to render his victims unconscious.

Shortly after The Cut's story was published, The Daily Caller's Amber Athey said on Twitter that she'd talked to "six former employees and guests" at the network who said that "these types of comments were par for the course for Matthews." The Cut notes that the Matthews' distasteful joke is part of "a long history of [him] talking disparagingly about Hillary Clinton."