US president Donald Trump assailed a woman TV news host in highly personal terms on Thursday, calling her "crazy" and alleging she had been bleeding at one point from a face-lift, in a Twitter attack that drew strong criticism, including from fellow Republicans.
Trump, who often decries what he calls "fake news" in the American media and who this week attacked CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post, took fierce aim on Thursday at the hosts of the MSNBC program "Morning Joe," Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
The Republican president called Brzezinski, a journalist and daughter of former White House national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" and said she was "bleeding badly from a face-lift" when she visited his Mar-A-Lago estate around New Year's Eve.
He referred to former Republican US Congressman Scarborough as "Psycho Joe."
Trump is known for his prolific Twitter habit, which includes mocking attacks on critics and rivals, but his tweets on Thursday drew a particularly strong response.
Screen grab of Donald Trump's Twitter account
"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," MSNBC's communications office said on Twitter.
The "Morning Joe" program broadcast live telephone interviews with Trump during the 2016 presidential race, but its hosts have turned increasingly critical of him since he took office in January. On Thursday's show, Brzezinski excoriated the Trump administration and said its officials should not act "lobotomized" because they are scared of the president.
Lawmakers in both parties rebuked Trump.
"I don't see that as an appropriate comment," Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said of Trump's tweets, saying they do not help improve civility in Washington.
MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough (L) and Mika Brzezinski (R)/Reuters photo
The tweets represent "what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Republican senator Ben Sasse called Trump's remarks "beneath the dignity of your office."
Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, on Twitter called Trump's tweets "sexist, an assault on the freedom of the press & an insult to all women."
At a briefing, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders called it a "false narrative" to portray Trump's remarks as "an attack on a woman" rather than on a critic, adding, "What about the constant attacks that he receives?"
"He's not going to sit back and get attacked by the liberal media, Hollywood elites. And when they hit him, he's going to hit back," Sanders said. "I don't think it's a surprise to anybody that he fights fire with fire."
(Source: Reuters)
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