Former cable host Eliot Spitzer, who is hoping to revive his political career after resigning as New York governor amid a prostitution scandal, was close to tears in an appearance on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," reports Politico.

Spitzer, who hosted shows on Current TV and CNN following the scandal, was asked by Mika Brzezinski to give a personal answer on how he has changed since he left office.

"A lot of pain. A lot of pain. … You go through that pain, you change,” Spitzer said, with what the article calls "watery eyes" and visibly choking up.

After the interview, the show’s hosts discussed whether Spitzer’s tears were real.

"They felt real to me. I was sitting there, it felt very real to me,” said panelist and Republican adviser Nicole Wallace.