Trump mocks female host’s appearance
PROTEST: Republicans label tweets as being undignified
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday ridiculed the brains, looks and temperament of a female cable television host whose show he says he has stopped watching. His latest crude broadside against a woman’s appearance set off a storm of protest from Republicans and Democrats alike.
In a series of morning tweets, the president went after Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, who have criticized Trump on their MSNBC show Morning Joe.
“I heard poorly rated @Morning Joe speaks badly of me (don’t watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came ... to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a facelift. I said no!”
Brzezinski responded on Twitter by posting a photograph of a Cheerios box that includes the phrase “made for little hands.” Critics looking to get under the president’s skin have long suggested that his hands appear smaller than usual for his frame.
“It’s a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job,” NBC News spokeswoman Lorie Acio said.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders defended the president, suggesting the tweets were just his way of countering an attack from what she deemed a “biased” media.
“I don’t think you can expect someone to be personally attacked day after day and minute by minute and sit back. He’s been very clear that when he’s attacked he’s going to hit back,” Sanders said.
It was not immediately clear what set Trump off. About two hours before his tweets, Brzezinski said on the show that “it’s not normal behaviour” for any leader to be tweeting about people’s appearances or to be bullying, lying, undermining managers and throwing people under the bus.
She said that if any business executive behaved the way Trump does, “there would be concern that perhaps the person who runs the company is out of his mind.”
The reaction to Trump’s tweets was swift, critical and bipartisan.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican, tweeted: “Mr. President, your tweet was beneath the office and represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America.” House Speaker Paul Ryan said, “Obviously I don’t see that as an appropriate comment.”