Watch CNBC Host Steve Liesman Ask For ‘Mexican Music’ For Ted Cruz Segment [VIDEO]

CNBC host Steve Liesman asked for some 'Mexican music' during a segment on the show in which he featured Texas Senator Ted Cruz: the crack has been met with considerable criticism, with some calling the Liesman racist. Senator Cruz is in fact Cuban, and as such, Liesman's joke blatantly streotypes Hispanic people under one category. "We're going to call this the Senator Ted Cruz jobs report," said Liesman when explaining the unemployment report released on Tuesday. An image of Senator Cruz then appeared on screen and Liesman, jokingly, says "Can we get some music to go along with that? Some Mexican music, maybe?"

CNBC host Steve Liesman asked for the Mexican music apparently as a joke, however, many critics have failed to see the humor in the sentiment. Liesman implies that the poor unemployment report has resulted from the Government Shutdown, in which Senator Cruz played a significant part. However, as The Blaze points out, the Shutdown ocurred in October, while the jobs report in fact covers September, making the statement even more misguided. You can watch the video of what exactly happened below. CNBC declined to comment on the issue, nor has Senator Ted Cruz' team come forward with a statment. However, the internet has been ablaze since the incident yesterday.

The CNBC host himself has, however, issued an apology. Liesman released the following earleir today: "Regarding my recent remark on Squawk Box regarding Senator Ted Cruz, I first want to deeply and sincerely apologize if my remarks were insensitive. Second, I want to explain that it was not intended to be offensive in any way. I thought of him only as an American senator from Texas, and in an attempt, on the fly, to choose music representing that state, I chose Mexican music. As a musician for many decades, I've played and listened to tons of Texas songs infused with Mexican themes. A better choice would have been Country/Western or Texas Roadhouse Blues - it was a bad reach all the way around."