(Credit: MSNBC)

MSNBC host Chris Matthews compared executive privilege to virginity in an interview with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Ca).

“I guess the question is once he’s testified before Mr. Mueller’s special counsel investigation, how can he now say I won’t make the same testimony in public claiming executive privilege,” he said, according to Fox News. “I think it is sort of like virginity, kinda. Once you start talking about a matter in your jurisdiction and then you say, ‘oh, I’m not doing it anymore.’ You can’t do it once you’ve started talking. I understand that’s how executive privilege works. Once you have given it up, you can’t grab it back. How do you see it?”

In response, Harris said “I’m not going to go with you on that metaphor, Chris.”

Matthews later apologized for the metaphor and said he was “admonished” for it. “I’m sorry about that metaphor I used before. I’ve been admonished already about it. So I really shouldn’t have used it in this context, however,” Matthews said on air.

iMediaEthics has written to MSNBC for more information.