White House press secretary criticises Jemele Hill for tweets about President Donald Trump

A PROMINENT TV host has gone on a 15-minute rant talking over an “incompetent moron”. Then came the fallout.

THE White House press secretary has slammed an ESPN anchor for labelling President Donald Trump a white supremacist.

ESPN’s Jemele Hill was criticised for posting a tweet that said: “Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.”

On Monday night the SportsCenter co-host also tweeted: “Trump is the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime.”

She launched into the Twitter tirade following the news musician Kid Rock was tossing up the idea of running for the Senate next year.

The news story accused media of labelling the Confederate flag waving rocker a racist despite him previously saying he “loved black people”.

ESPN anchor Jemele Hill was slammed for Donald Trump tweets. Picture: John Salangsang/Invision/AP

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Wednesday Hill’s comments were “outrageous” and a “fireable offence”.

Sanders defended Trump during a media briefing at the White House and said: “That’s one of the more outrageous comments that anyone can make and certainly that’s a fireable offence by ESPN,” she said.

The anchor said this week Trump was unfit to be the President and his popularity “is a direct result of white supremacy. Period. He is underqualified and unfit to be President. He is not a leader. And if he were not white, he never would have been elected.”

An ESPN anchor called Trump ‘a white supremacist’ and ‘a bigot’. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

During a 15-minute Twitter tirade on Monday night, Hill also said Trump was a bigot.

“Glad you could live with voting for him. I couldn’t, because I cared about more than just myself,” she wrote.

“I hate a lot of things but not enough to jeopardise my fellow citizens with an unfit, bigoted, incompetent moron. But hey, that’s just me.”

Hill has since deleted the posts from Twitter.

ESPN shared a statement on Twitter following Hill’s controversial comments.

“The comments on Twitter from Jemele Hill regarding the President do not represent the position of ESPN. We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognises her actions were inappropriate,” the statement said.

ESPN Statement on Jemele Hill: pic.twitter.com/3kfexjx9zQ

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) September 12, 2017

Many on Twitter have been using the hashtag #StandWithJemele and slamming ESPN for not backing the host.

“Not watching one more goddamn minute of any ESPN broadcast until they apologise for their failure to support Jemele Hill,” writer Charles Clymer tweeted.

I #StandWithJemele....it is sad that you have to apologize for speaking the truth!!!!

— Lisa G. (@LisaGGMD) September 12, 2017

Don't dare apologize for simply stating the truth @jemelehill we at Let the Ball Bounce Sports Talk Radio support you 100%

— Let The Ball Bounce (@Letheballbounce) September 14, 2017

Another supporter said Hill should not have to apologise for speaking her mind while others have called the network a disappointment.

Her supporters outweighed her critics, and they said it would be unfair for Hill to be fired for expressing her views on social media.

Hill posted a response on her Twitter account after the blow-up.

“My comments on Twitter expressed my personal beliefs,” she said. “My regret is that my comments and the public way I made them painted ESPN in an unfair light.

“My respect for the company and my colleagues remains unconditional.”