Georgetown University professor and MSNBC political analyst Michael Eric Dyson apologized to conservative activist Candace Owens after he dismissed her as “little girl” during a heated on-air exchange Tuesday night.

The two tussled on MSNBC’s “The Beat with Ari Melber” while discussing the state of race relations under President Trump. Ms. Owens, a black Trump-supporter who serves as Turning Point USA’s communications director, was recently run out of a Philadelphia restaurant by a group of antifa protesters screaming “white supremacy!”

“Am I black?” Ms. Owens asked in the interview. “I am a black conservative and I am not hearing anything said about the fact that about 25 white Democrats assembled to kick me out of a restaurant yesterday to throw water and to throw eggs at me because I’m a conservative that supports Donald Trump.”

Mr. Dyson erupted after Ms. Owens accused him of condoning attacks on conservatives, black or white.

“I’m not God, I don’t control the universe or weather,” he said. “I did not point these people toward you. I think it’s reprehensible that any human being is put out of a particular establishment because of her ideology. I think that that’s problematic. I did not suggest that. Number two, yeah, you are black and I am black, but that doesn’t mean that automatically we agree on everything.

“You have come on here and like Donald Trump reduced everything to narcissistic self-preoccupation and articulation of your—,” he said before Ms. Owens interjected.

“You’re using big words and saying nothing,” she said.

“Can I finish my point?” Mr. Dyson asked repeatedly as Ms. Owens talked over him. “Narcissism, whether black or white, is problematic. Here is a woman incapable of arguing, therefore she articulates and overspeaks people. Bless your heart, little girl.”

Mr. Dyson later took to Twitter to apologize to Ms. Owens for appearing dismissive of her.

There is no justification for my addressing Ms Owens as “little girl” at the end of the segment. I offer @RealCandaceO my sincere and public apology. And I hope that this did not distract viewers from the valid arguments I made. — Michael Eric Dyson (@MichaelEDyson) August 8, 2018

This is the full “debate” I had with ⁦@RealCandaceO⁩ tonight on ⁦@TheBeatWithAri⁩. I don’t mind folk who vigorously oppose me, but the resort to aggressive over talking to distract from utter nonsense, or to mask insufficient argument, is bad. https://t.co/UX0M5CLbwH

— Michael Eric Dyson (@MichaelEDyson) August 8, 2018

Ms. Owens said she accepted the professor’s apology.

This is really classy. I was going to reach out via email. I think the segment started off great and we likely have much more in common than news stations would like us to. Would love to buy you coffee professor, please DM me. X https://t.co/iZHwxUteQr — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) August 8, 2018

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