Earlier this week, comedian Kathy Griffin came under fire for posting a picture of herself posing with a mock decapitated head of Donald Trump. In the aftermath of the backlash, Griffin held a press conference and didn't back down.
Griffin on Trump
When Donald Trump decided to run for president nearly two years ago, it didn't take long for the battle lines to be drawn between himself and Hollywood. The majority of celebrities out in Hollywood hold liberal political views which clashed with Trump's aggressive and controversial rhetoric and polices, One of the big stories coming out of the 2016 presidential election was the outrage over Trump's campaign, which was evident during various comedy shows, late-night talk shows, and endless Twitter feeds where the former host of "The Apprentice" would trend on a daily basis.
Since his inauguration in January, the opposition to Trump has only increased, with his approval rating hovering around just 40 percent. The criticism from Hollywood has also amped up, which was clear in the aforementioned Kathy Griffin photo. After posting the image, conservatives reacted negatively, with even Trump and his family taking to Twitter to express their outrage. Griffin would end up being fired by CNN from co-hosting their yearly New Year's Eve special, as well as having sponsors drop out. As reported by ABC News on June 2, Griffin held a press conference and explained her actions while hitting back at the president.
Kathy Griffin says Pres. Trump and the First Family is “personally trying to ruin my life forever…you guys know him, he’s never gonna stop” pic.twitter.com/9fPesESCBp
— ABC News (@ABC) June 2, 2017
With her newly hired lawyer Lisa Bloom by her side, Kathy Griffin addressed the backlash over the Donald Trump decapitated head photo.
"What is happening to me has never happened, ever, in the history of this great country," Griffin said, detailing the alleged bullying she's received at the hands of the Trump family and their supporters. Griffin went on to accuse the president of "personally trying to ruin my life forever. "You guys know him, he’s never gonna stop," she continued.
"What is happening to me has never happened, ever, in the history of this great country," Kathy Griffin says https://t.co/T5uqozQu3e pic.twitter.com/py15gGkACc
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 2, 2017
Kathy Griffin admitted that she "made a horrible mistake," while adding, "This is america, and you shouldn't have to die for it." Not stopping there, Griffin did say she would continue to rip into the president, but elaborated further on her thoughts.
"I'm not afraid of Donald Trump. He's a bully. I've dealt with older white guys trying to keep me down my whole life."
Kathy Griffin: "I'm not afraid of Donald Trump. He's a bully. I've dealt with older white guys trying to keep me down my whole life." pic.twitter.com/LNCgz4tMmU
— ABC News (@ABC) June 2, 2017
Twitter reacts
In response to Kathy Griffin's press conference, conservative and liberal social media users were not pleased and decided to target the comedian even further. "'I would never want to hurt anyone,' says a weeping Kathy Griffin, who has spent her entire career saying horrendous things about people," John Podhoretz tweeted.
To @kathygriffin and @lisabloom: you could not be doing more to help Donald Trump if you were Putin. Please stop this selfish nonsense.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) June 2, 2017
Kathy Griffin says SHE was bullied by Trump family after disgusting photo of Trump's severed head. That's 1st funny thing she's said in yrs!
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 2, 2017
Kathy Griffin says Trump & his family are trying to ruin her life. But he didn't cause the outrage or CNN's firing for stunt she regretted
— HowardKurtz (@HowardKurtz) June 2, 2017
"Kathy Griffin says SHE was bullied by Trump family after disgusting photo of Trump's severed head.
That's 1st funny thing she's said in yrs!" former Alabama Gov. Mike Huckabee wrote on his Twitter feed. "To @kathygriffin and @lisabloom: you could not be doing more to help Donald Trump if you were Putin. Please stop this selfish nonsense," former ESPN and MSNBC host Keith Olbermann tweeted.
Hell would be being trapped in a room with both Kathy Griffin & Donald Trump vying for media attention
— Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) June 2, 2017
"I've been living this my whole career," says Kathy Griffin. Oppression. She's oppressed. The oppression of Kathy Griffin. Call a cop!
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) June 2, 2017
"In sum: Kathy Griffin can say and do all the mean things she wants, but if you're mean back, shes going to hire a lawyer and cry about it," Tim Young wrote.
"Hell would be being trapped in a room with both Kathy Griffin & Donald Trump vying for media attention," Roland Scahill tweeted. The negative reaction to Griffin continued as it appeared clear that those on the political left and right were not happy with what took place.