Posting to Twitter on Monday, NBC News’s Benjamin Pu shared a clip of the on-air moment, praising those involved for their “restraint.” The video has garnered more than 400,000 views and over 500 comments from viewers who were “appalled” by what the caller had to say.

In the clip, Echevarria, along with White House correspondent Ebony McMorris and congressional reporter Nicholas Wu, prepare to answer viewer calls during an open phones segment of the Washington Journal—C-SPAN’s morning program.

Asking about the “politics of America,” the now-viral 83-year-old caller from Tennesee said, “I want to know if we can cut out some of these liberal things that are going on in America…

“Just like on the TV now, we have two minorities—and I’m not against you minorities,” the man continued, speaking about McMorris and Wu, who are both people of color.

Echevarria interrupts the man, saying, “Caller, that shouldn’t be a factor…what’s your question or comment for [McMorris and Wu], please?”

Rather than ask a question, the caller continued his monologue, which included the use of a derogatory term.

“When I was a little boy, the colored people here—” the caller said, who was cut off by Echevarria.

“Okay, I’m gonna stop it there,” said Echevarria. “Apologies for that.”

In response to the praise they received for maintaining their composure, Wu tweeted, “Props to Pedro too for being the most patient host I’ve ever seen on TV.”

McMorris added, “I was trying to hold it in, but I promise you I felt all my ancestors rush through my body. [Wu] was right Pedro was a master at intercepting that. Next time the response may be different.”

Sadly, Monday’s caller isn’t the first to use a derogatory term or slur when speaking to Washington Journal’s hosts and/or guests.

In 2018, a man named Christopher called into the show and went on a “racist tirade” against former-President Barrack Obama, using a racial slur against him, The Hill stated.

And in 2010, a caller on the show made several derogatory comments about Jewish people, according to The Atlantic.

Following those 2010 comments, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, contacted C-SPAN, asking about their call-in policies. At the time, a spokesperson for the network said:

“The call-in program has been a fixture of the C-SPAN networks for nearly all of our three decades. Our mission statement commits us to providing the audience with ‘direct access’ to our guests on an ‘open basis.’ The live, town-hall format of the program can occasionally give rise to distasteful statements by callers making it to air…

“Program hosts, whose role is to facilitate the dialogue between callers and guests, are certainly permitted to step in when a caller makes ad hominem attacks or uses obscenity or obviously racist language,” the spokesperson continued.

Of course, viewers were still shocked by what was said during Monday’s show.

“I shouldn’t be appalled at this point, but I am,” tweeted Jamie.

“What in the actual hell,” wrote journalist Margaret Larson. “Very well handled.”

“WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. F**K. IS. HAPPENING. ?!?!?” asked Kirk Marshall.

Unfortunately, it’s not just callers who have gone viral during live news.

In 2019, a Missouri news anchor “unfortunately mispronounced” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s name while on-air, accidentally placing a racial slur into his name.

In 2020, a BBC reporter used a racial slur during a live broadcast about a “racially motivated” hit and run.

And in January, a Korean-American news anchor named Michelle Li received a call from a viewer who complained she was “very Asian.” Though the call didn’t make it to broadcast, Li shared the audio from the call on Twitter, where it has since amassed more than 3 million views and began the use of #VeryAsian.