Scarborough calls for ABC to stop airing ‘Roseanne’ over racial tweet

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Tuesday said that ABC should stop airing the sitcom “Roseanne” after the show’s titular star, Roseanne Barr, attacked former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett with a comment that many deemed racist.

“Hey @ABC, Roseanne Barr compared Valerie Jarrett to an ape. There is no apology she can make that justifies @ABC turning a blind eye to this bigotry by airing another second of her show,” the “Morning Joe” host tweeted.

Hey @ABC, Roseanne Barr compared Valerie Jarrett to an ape. There is no apology she can make that justifies @ABC turning a blind eye to this bigotry by airing another second of her show.
Even in the Age of Trump, there are red lines that can never be crossed. This is one.

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) May 29, 2018

Barr came under fire on Tuesday after she attacked Jarrett in a tweet, calling her the love child of the Islamist organization Muslim Brotherhood and the movie “Planet of the Apes.”

“Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” Barr wrote. 

That tweet drew significant backlash on social media, prompting Barr to issue an apology and declare that she would be “leaving Twitter.”

I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter.

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 29, 2018

I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste.

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 29, 2018

Barr, a noted support of President Trump, has come under fire in the past for controversial postings on social media.

ABC debuted a reboot of her 1990s sitcom “Roseanne” earlier this year. That reboot scored high ratings but also prompted criticism over its depiction of Barr’s character as a staunch Trump supporter.

ABC has hinted that the reboot may move away from politics in its second season to focus more on the characters’ family dynamic.