Mississippi Sen. Hyde-Smith Draws Backlash for Joke About 'Public Hanging'

GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith drew backlash over the weekend after a video on Twitter showed her telling a supporter that if he invited her to a "public hanging" she would be "on the front row." Hyde-Smith is locked in a runoff election with Democrat Mike Espy, who is black. She has dismissed the controversy as "ridiculous," saying the comment was "an exaggerated expression of regard."