The White House doubled down Wednesday on President Trump’s criticism of the media and ABC in particular, blasting the network for airing vile commentary about…
The White House doubled down Wednesday on President Trump’s criticism of the media and ABC in particular, blasting the network for airing vile commentary about the president and his supporters, including mocking Christianity and accusing the White House of supporting white supremacists.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president is calling out a media double standard after ABC boss Bob Iger apologized to former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett for Roseanne Barr tweeting a racist insult about her.
“Where was Bob Iger’s apology to the White House staff for [ESPN reporter] Jemele Hill calling the president and anyone associated with him a white supremacist?” Mrs. Sanders asked. “To Christians around the world for [The View co-host] Joy Behar calling Christianity a ‘mental illness’?”
Mrs. Sanders went on, “Where was the apology for Kathy Griffin, who went on a profane rant against the president on ‘The View’ after a photo showed her holding President Trump’s decapitated head? And where was the apology from Bob Iger for ESPN hiring Keith Olbermann after his numerous expletive-laced tweets attacking the president as a Nazi, and even expanding Olbermann’s role after that attack against the president’s family?”
“This is a double standard the president is speaking about,” Mrs. Sanders said.
She said of Ms. Barr, whose TV sit-com the president had praised, “No one is defending her comments. They’re inappropriate. But that was the point he was making.”
Mr. Trump weighed in earlier Wednesday on the Roseanne Barr controversy by noting that ABC never balked when he was the target of rude attacks.
“Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that ‘ABC does not tolerate comments like those’ made by Roseanne Barr. Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC,” tweeted Mr. Trump.
He added, “Maybe I just didn’t get the call?”
ABC canceled Ms. Barr’s top-rated “Roseanne” show after she tweeted an insult about Ms. Jarrett, a former aide to President Barack Obama. She said that Ms. Jarrett, who is black, was from the movie franchise “Planet of the Apes.”
