President Donald Trump repeated his call for Disney CEO Bob Iger to apologize to him personally over critical coverage he has received on Disney-owned ABC.
“Iger, where is my call of apology?” asked Trump in a tweet Thursday, which also took a shot at ABC reporter Brian Ross — who was suspended for four weeks without pay last December for a retracted story about Trump’s contact with Russians during the campaign.
“You and ABC have offended millions of people, and they demand a response. How is Brian Ross doing? He tanked the market with an ABC lie, yet no apology. Double Standard!”
Iger, where is my call of apology? You and ABC have offended millions of people, and they demand a response. How is Brian Ross doing? He tanked the market with an ABC lie, yet no apology. Double Standard!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018
A spokesperson for ABC did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
This is the second time Trump had chosen to obliquely address the drama surrounding the cancellation of “Roseanne” by ABC earlier this week. While Trump has declined to defend her publicly, he has sharply criticized Iger and ABC over the “double standard” issue.
“Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that ‘ABC does not tolerate comments like those’ made by Roseanne Barr,” said Trump in a tweet on Wednesday. “Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn’t get the call?
Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that “ABC does not tolerate comments like those” made by Roseanne Barr. Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn’t get the call?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
ABC’s unprecedented step — canceling the top-rated program on television — was taken after Barr made a racially charged joked about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett which said Jarrett was the “child of apes and the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Despite deleting the tweet and offering an effusive apology, Barr was unable to save her show.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” read a terse statement from ABC Entertainment chief Channing Dungey on Tuesday.