Donald Trump lashes Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough

DONALD Trump has unleashed a vulgar and deeply personal tirade against a female news anchor, horrifying even his allies.

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has again ridiculed the intelligence, looks and temperament of a female television host in a vulgar Twitter attack, triggering a storm of protest from Republicans and Democrats alike.

In a Thursday morning tirade, the president went after hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, who have criticised him on their US TV 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!” the US leader tweeted.

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..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017

...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 face-lift. I said no!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017

​The president, who has a running feud with Ms ​Brzezinski and Mr ​Scarborough, tweeted out just minutes after their morning show went off the air at 9am Thursday (11pm Thursday AEST).

It’s not clear what specifically triggered Mr Trump’s vulgar attack, but topics discussed during Thursday’s show included the rancour that exists on Twitter and Mr Trump’s tweeting habits.

Mr Trump may also have been responding ​to Mr Scarborough’s comments to Vanity Fair in May.

In that interview, Mr Scarborough announced his engagement to Ms Brzezinksi and said that the president offered to marry them at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

RELATED: Donald Trump’s most vicious fueds, from One Direction to London’s Mayor

Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, right, are also in a romantic relationship. Picture: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Minutes after Mr Trump’s crude broadside, Ms Brzezinski responded on Twitter by posting a photograph of a Cheerios cereal box that included 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.

pic.twitter.com/8YhzcCUwM1

— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) June 29, 2017

The reaction to Mr Trump’s sexist tweets was swift, critical and remarkably bipartisan, with both Republicans and Democrats slamming him.

“He’s acting for all of us. He’s acting as our president, and he is embarrassing,” said CNN commentator Ana Navarro. “It’s time somebody has to look at the camera, call him up and say ‘listen, you crazy, lunatic 70-year-old manbaby, stop it! You are now the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief, and you need to stop acting like a mean girl.’”

Others reacted on Twitter.

Mr. President, your tweet was beneath the office and represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 29, 2017

I want my GOP colleagues to explain to my 3 granddaughters why they think these viciously sexist comments are acceptable from our President. https://t.co/C0C4GJaYks

— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) June 29, 2017

This is not okay. As a female in politics I am often criticized for my looks. We should be working to empower women. https://t.co/sV6WDE0EUD

— Lynn Jenkins (@RepLynnJenkins) June 29, 2017

Please just stop. This isn't normal and it's beneath the dignity of your office.

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) June 29, 2017

If you can't stifle the press, then you attack them personally. Today's tweets from Donald Trump are unpresidential and warrant an apology.

— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) June 29, 2017

Mocks people w mental illness. Cheerleads effort to end their insurance.

Not sure how much more monstrous this can get. https://t.co/S9op7qhCPN

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 29, 2017

Americans deserve a president, not a petty schoolyard bully. These sexist comments have no place in the @WhiteHouse. Unhinged and shameful. pic.twitter.com/l6MWAKaf0z

— Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) June 29, 2017

Personal attacks & character assassination yield a culture of social & political violence in which people can become radicalized & dangerous

— Carlos Curbelo (@carloslcurbelo) June 29, 2017

JUST NOW: @SalenaZito calls the President's new statement, "repulsive. unpresidential. unfit for the office."

— John Berman (@JohnBerman) June 29, 2017

I would make the argument that America loses in all this. https://t.co/WFcPe6N7zq

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) June 29, 2017

However, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Mr Trump during an appearance on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom.

She said there have been “an outrageous number of personal attacks” on Mr Trump and his staff members by Morning Joe.

“I don’t think that the president’s ever been someone who gets attacked and doesn’t push back. There have been an outrageous number of personal attacks, not just to him, but to frankly everyone around him,” she told host Bill Hemmer.

“This is a president who fights fire with fire. And certainly will not be allowed to be bullied by a liberal media and the liberal elites within the media or Hollywood or anywhere else,” she added.

Asked about Trump's Mika tweets on Fox, Sarah Sanders says, "This is a president who fights fire with fire" pic.twitter.com/np0rVHvMvC

— David Mack (@davidmackau) June 29, 2017

Commenting on Mr Trump’s use of Twitter, Morning Joe host Ms Brzezinski said: “What I think Twitter has done is really revealed the true nature of this man who is the president of the United States. It has shown the kind of, the dark underbelly of this presidency. Thanks to Twitter, we know.”

Her co-host and fiance Mr Scarborough said: “I think if you go on Twitter, and you go on Twitter angry, I don’t think the market reveals character, I think it twists and distorts character. Because you’ve got to put it in 140 characters. There’s no room for nuance. And I think it brings out, many times, just the absolute worst in people.”

US President Donald Trump’s wife Melania said she would fight against cyber-bullying as first lady. Picture: AFP/Saul Loeb

NBC News spokeswoman Lorie Acio said in a statement: “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.”

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.

— MSNBCPR (@MSNBCPR) June 29, 2017

Mr Trump’s campaign was threatened last October after the release of a 2005 Access Hollywood video in which he was heard bragging about groping women, saying “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

Mr Trump also repeatedly suggested that Hillary Clinton didn’t have the stamina or “look” to be president, mocked primary foe Carly Fiorina by saying “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?”

He also falsely suggested that former Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado, whom he publicly shamed for gaining weight when he owned the contest, had made a sex tape.

In 2015, he said then-Fox News Host Megyn Kelly was unfairly targeting him, saying “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.”

First lady Melania Trump said she would fight against cyberbullying while her husband was in office. She has so far remained silent on her hubby’s latest tweet.

Re Megyn Kelly quote: "you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever" (NOSE). Just got on w/thought

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2015