SNL writer Katie Rich shocked the Twitterverse and the world when she tweeted an utterly inappropriate comment about 10-year-old Barron Trump on Inauguration Day. In the tweet, the SNL writer proclaimed that Barron would be this country’s “first homeschool shooter.” The backlash on social media was immediate, and it didn’t take long for Rich to delete the controversial commentary regarding the only minor child of the new first family.
SNL Writer Katie Rich Allegedly Fired After Barron Trump School Shooter Tweet, Name Removed From Credits https://t.co/TNcr9c1YkO pic.twitter.com/0Nq78nLfN6
— Ethan Ralph (@TheRalphRetort) January 22, 2017
However, nothing is ever really deleted from the internet, and the SNL writer’s Barron Trump tweet continued to circulate, going viral and drawing an intense backlash from conservatives and liberals alike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA4caAG2u2U
As the Washington Post reports, it quickly became apparent that simply deleting the Barron Trump tweet wasn’t going to be enough, and Katie Rich was forced to delete her entire Twitter account to dodge the wave of disgust she was facing. On Monday afternoon, the SNL writer restored her social media account to issue an apology to Barron Trump and the world for her “homeschool shooter” remark. According to Rich, her January 20 words were “inexcusable.”
I sincerely apologize for the insensitive tweet. I deeply regret my actions & offensive words. It was inexcusable & I’m so sorry.
— Katie Rich (@katiemaryrich) January 23, 2017
At the time the SNL writer re-activated her Twitter account, all of her past posts had been deleted. Responses to her public apology over her Barron Trump critique have been mixed.
Some who found Rich’s Barron Trump tweet humorous recognized that picking on a 10-year-old child, no matter how much you despise his parents, is never okay.
Even so, some were more than willing to lend their support to the SNL writer, regardless of what she said about young Barron.
Since the SNL writer’s anti-Barron Trump tweet went viral, a Change.org petition has sprung up demanding that Katie Rich be fired from both SNL and NBC over her controversial remarks. So far, it has collected nearly 40,000 signatures.
“Online bullying of children (including and especially those in our White House!) by any adult is unnacceptable behavior and should not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
As Fox News reports, despite the public outcry against the SNL writer , a representative for the show came forward to tell the media that NBC would not be directly commenting on the Barron Trump situation. Even so, on Saturday, Katie Rich was no longer listed in the program’s writer credits. This weekend’s SNL aired just a day after the writer bashed 10-year-old Barron Trump on Twitter, and the omission of the Rich’s name from its traditional spot (she’s been a writer for the show since 2013) led to widespread speculation that she may have gotten the ax from the show that has targeted Donald Trump since he began his White House run.
While NBC is not openly commenting on the Barron Trump Twitter comment circulated by writer Katie Rich, at least one source says that Rich has been suspended from her job — indefinitely. As the New York Times reports, a source familiar with the inner workings of SNL claims that the writer was suspended for her Barron Trump tweet “immediately” after she posted it.
The drama surrounding SNL writer Katie Rich and her unprovoked and (in her own words) “inexcusable” Barron Trump tweet comes at what could be a critical time for the TV show, which has focused its satirical and often harsh comedic efforts on Donald Trump for months now, even doubling down after Trump pulled off an unexpected White House victory.
Alec Baldwin has been portraying Donald Trump on SNL for quite some time now and has often been directly chastised by the new POTUS on Twitter for his efforts. Needless to say, the elder Trump has been less than amused by Baldwin’s impersonations and SNL’s depictions, often taking to Twitter to attack the show after it airs.
. @NBCNews is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2017
This Saturday, the day following Katie Rich’s now-deleted Barron Trump tweet, Alec Baldwin was notably absent from the performance. However, it has been reported that he will be reprising his role as Donald Trump in an upcoming episode and is expected to portray the new POTUS throughout the entire hour on February 11.
While Donald Trump frequently took to Twitter to defend himself from SNL “attacks,” the new POTUS has remained mum on social media regarding SNL writer Katie Rich and her harsh words about 10-year-old Barron.
[Featured Image by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Images]