“Russian state media had a familiar – albeit repulsive – approach to their coverage of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot hearings. ‘The long awaited first hearing in the United States was a total farce,’ scowled the host of Kremlin-funded TV program 60 Minutes, Olga Skabeeva. ‘Imagine that, a huge dark-skinned policeman, his name is Harry Dunn, got teary-eyed like a boy, because the protesters called him the N-word.’ She then proceeded to say the Russian translation of the word out loud, a common occurrence on state television” reports The Daily Beast.

“In Russian, both the N-word slur and the word ‘Negro’ are translated as the same expression. Skabeeva has long-used it with obsessive insistence, often making other panelists uncomfortable while repeatedly acknowledging her awareness that it is offensive. Last year, Konstantin Zatulin, a member of Russia’s lower house of parliament, pointed out that the word in question is deeply insulting and suggested she use the phrase ‘African American’ instead. Skabeeva reacted with a grin and continued to use the same offensive term through many 60 Minutes broadcasts. The pundit’s use of the word can’t be chalked up to a cultural disconnect, either: The TV personality used to live and work in New York, alongside her husband and co-host Evgeny Popov. The cosmopolitan couple frequently vacations in Europe and longingly talks about their great time living in the US, only to return to Russia to spout nasty expressions while hosting their popular program.”