Morning Joe hit the road today, broadcasting their show from Oxford, Mississippi. As such, they invited various local politicians to their influential airwaves, and it as an interview with Republican Senate candidate Chris McDaniel in which things seem to get a little tense. Or, at least, the interview was collegial but tense ideological clash based on race and American history vis-a-vis the Confederate flag.

Things got interesting when regular panelist Eddie Glaude, Jr. (who hails from Moss Point, MS) noted that 38% of Mississippi residents are black, before asking the GOP Senate hopeful where he stood on issues he saw related to the African-American population of the state.

“Your position around the Confederate flag and hip-hop as a source of gun violence. Your position around Robert E. Lee. I can go on and on and on,” a thoughtful Glaude, Jr. listed before asking “how do you convince black folk in this state are you not a danger to them?”

McDaniel, a conservative radio show host, defended his position on the Confederate flag by citing polls that claim 65% of all Mississippians are in support of the flag, but understanding that it is offensive to some.

Glaude, Jr. pushed back asking how specifically how McDaniel would speak to those 38% African-American residents of the state.

McDaniel drew boos from the audience in attendance when his reply hit what seemed to be a sour note. I’m going to ask them, after 100 years of relying on big government to save you, where are you today? After 100 years of begging for federal government scraps, where are you today?”

McDaniel quickly clarified that he was talking about Mississippi being the dead last state of the union in terms of wealth, but the damage was done. The fact that the people of color on the Morning Joe panel appeared to outnumber the people of color in the audience didn’t make for an any less tense discussion.

Watch the clip above, courtesy of MSNBC.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]