Longtime ESPN journalist and on-air talent Jemele Hill fired off some tweets on Monday accusing Donald Trump of being a white supremacist, and the network has since released a statement distancing itself from Hill’s remarks.
Hill, who has often used her Twitter account to address issues with social inequality, started by unloading on Kid Rock for being racist. She then called Trump a “bigot” and said his being elected president was a “direct result of white supremacy.” Here are some of the tweets:
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 has surrounded himself with white supremacists — no they are not "alt right" — and you want me to believe he isn't a white supremacist?
— 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
ESPN has long been accused of having a liberal bias, but for the most part it seems like the network wants its biggest on-air talents to avoid political debates altogether. On Tuesday, the World Wide Leader called Hill’s actions “inappropriate.”
ESPN Statement on Jemele Hill: pic.twitter.com/3kfexjx9zQ
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) September 12, 2017
We know one former ESPN employee feels she was laid off for being too conservative, but many will accuse ESPN of defending Trump with its statement on Hill’s rant. Again, the issue for the network seems to be more about avoiding political debates altogether.
