President Obama’s top spokesman on Tuesday defended the civil rights record of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhat Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE, who have come under fire for making a racially tinged joke at an event last week.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Mayor de Blasio and Secretary Clinton have, over the course of their careers, demonstrated a genuine commitment to the pursuit of equality and justice and civil rights,” press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.

Earnest said he had not heard the joke himself.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I can’t speak to any misguided attempts at humor,” he said. “I can only speak to their commitment they have shown over the course of their career to justice and civil rights.”

The incident occurred during a skit de Blasio performed with Clinton and “Hamilton” actor Leslie Odom Jr. during a dinner with reporters and politicians in New York over the weekend.

Clinton bemoaned how long it took for de Blasio to endorse her presidential campaign.

"I just have to say, thanks for the endorsement, Bill. It took you long enough,” Clinton said.

"Sorry Hillary, I was running on C.P. time," de Blasio said, using a term that commonly refers to “colored people time,” a quip at the stereotype that black people often run late.

Odom, seemingly in on the skit, responded: "I don't like jokes like that, Bill."

"Cautious politician time," Clinton chimed in. "I've been there."

De Blasio defended the skit during a CNN interview on Tuesday, saying many are "missing the point."

"It was clearly a staged show. It was a scripted show and the whole idea was to do the counter-intuitive and say 'cautious politician time,’” he said.