President Donald Trump is using his bully pulpit of Twitter to attack suspended ESPN anchor Jemele Hill.
Hill on Monday was suspended two weeks by ESPN for floating a possible boycott of Cowboys advertisers over team owner Jerry Jones' declaration that players must stand for the national anthem or be benched. On Tuesday morning, Trump mocked both Hill and ESPN, which has been under fire from conservatives for its alleged liberal leanings.
With Jemele Hill at the mike, it is no wonder ESPN ratings have "tanked," in fact, tanked so badly it is the talk of the industry!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2017
The Twitter attack on Hill is typical Trump, who likes to single out anchors, reporters and columnists at media organizations he dislikes such as MSNBC, CNN and the New York Times.
Hill recently sparked a firestorm when she tweeted that Trump is "a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself (with) other white supremacists." Disney Co. chariman/CEO Robert Iger said he decided against firing her after considering the context of her tweets.
But now Hill and ESPN find themselves at the center of the Culture Wars. She is poised to become a martyr to supporters of Colin Kaepernick and the civil rights movement. Sports superstars such as Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade have put their support behind Hill.
MORE: Sharpton threatens ESPN boycott
The situation raises multiple questions. While Hill is off "SportsCenter," it's still unclear whether she has been suspended from social media. Will she fire back at Trump? Will ESPN president John Skipper, who has been one of the most ardent supporters of diversity in the media industry, defend his suspended anchor or cut her loose?
Where will Iger come down on this? He is rumored to be a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020. He supported Skipper's decision not to punish Hill for her previous controversial tweets.
