Just how many adjectives of contempt does it take to describe the latest behavior of the President of the United States?
In a tweetstorm that has been dubbed "sexist," "repulsive," "grotesque," "insane," "deranged," "odious," and "vile," President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, calling Brzezinski "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" and attacking her appearance.
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 response from members of the media, activists, and lawmakers was swift.
David Rothkopf, a columnist for the Washington Post, denounced the tweets as "Disgusting behavior from a man known for disgusting behavior."
"Trump may not just be the most repulsive man ever to occupy the Oval Office," Rothkopf concluded. "He's one of the most grotesque characters ever in public life."
ME: Nobody has more respect for women than me...
— Hannah Cranston (@HannahCranston) June 29, 2017
ALSO ME: "low I.Q. Crazy Mika..." https://t.co/z0bv4knBPe
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Dear @realDonaldTrump: You probably should not use any form of the word "crazy" when describing someone in your future tweets. https://t.co/Ox4U48E43X
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 29, 2017
"I’ve known my father obviously my whole life and he has total respect for women." -- Ivanka Trump https://t.co/jvnxzvTOns
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) June 29, 2017
Brzezinski, for her part, sent a wordless response.
— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) June 29, 2017
Others urged that while outrage is certainly justified, a tweetstorm should not be allowed to distract attention from the Trump administration's ongoing attempt to roll back civil rights and take healthcare from 22 million people.
"Trump posted a weird tweet," wrote MoveOn.org's Washington director Ben Wikler. "Set aside ten seconds to focus on that and then GET BACK TO FIGHTING TRUMPCARE."