ESPN anchor Jemele Hill, President Donald Trump (r)
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — ESPN distanced itself from anchor Jemele Hill’s tweets one day after she called President Donald Trump “a white supremacist” and “a bigot.”
“The comments on Twitter from Jemele Hill regarding the president do not represent the position of ESPN,” the network tweeted Tuesday from its public relations department’s account.
“We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognizes her actions were inappropriate.”
On Monday night, in a series of exchanges with other Twitter users, Hill said, “Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.”
Hill, a co-host of the 6 p.m. broadcast of “SportsCenter,” also added that “Trump is the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime. His rise is a direct result of white supremacy. Period.”
In another tweet, she said, “Donald Trump is a bigot,” and went on to criticize his supporters, adding “The height of white privilege is being able to ignore his white supremacy, because it’s of no threat to you. Well, it’s a threat to me.”
Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 11, 2017
Trump is the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime. His rise is a direct result of white supremacy. Period.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 11, 2017
He is unqualified and unfit to be president. He is not a leader. And if he were not white, he never would have been elected
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 12, 2017
Donald Trump is a bigot. Glad you could live with voting for him. I couldn’t, because I cared about more than just myself
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 12, 2017
And it’s funny how you cling to Benghazi but I bet you didn’t give one thought to what Trump said about the Central Park 5
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 12, 2017
Disney-owned ESPN did not elaborate on any possible punishment for Hill, and she was on Tuesday evening’s “SportsCenter” broadcast as usual. While many Twitter users called for Hill to be fired, unemployed NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick expressed his support, tweeting “We are with you @jemelehill.”
Kaepernick, who remains unsigned after opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers, received plenty of criticism — and support — after kneeling during the national anthem before games last season to protest police brutality.
We are with you @jemelehill ✊🏾
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 13, 2017
Jemele Hill: “Donald Trump is a white supremacist.”
ESPN: “WHAT!?”
White People: “WHAT!?”
Black People: pic.twitter.com/w6O0VDhKHd
— X (@XLNB) September 12, 2017
