Kathy Griffin is receiving backlash on social media after suggesting U.S. President Donald Trump should be injected with a “syringe with air inside” on Tuesday.
The American comedian’s controversial words came in response to a tweet from CNN White House correspondent James Acosta, who shared a comment Trump reportedly made during a diabetes event at the White House.
“‘I don’t use insulin. Should I be?'” Trump said, according to Acosta.
Griffin, 59, retweeted the post a few hours later, adding a “syringe with nothing but air inside it would do the trick. F–K TRUMP” — alluding to the idea that someone should give Trump an air embolism.
An air embolism is when air or gas bubbles enter the body. They can cause blockages in the circulatory system, which can be fatal if not treated properly, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Griffin’s “hostile” comment quickly went viral and resulted in many accusing her of “threatening” Trump’s life.
“When is this hag going to be arrested for threatening the President?” pondered one Twitter user.
Here’s what some other infuriated users had to say:
Some others even tried to get the U.S. Secret Service involved.
“(Kathy Griffin) is threatening the President,” another user wrote on the social media platform. “I believe a crime has occurred.”
“K. Griffin tweeted a terroristic threat,” they added, while also tagging the Secret Service’s Twitter account.
Despite the onslaught of criticism, Griffin has continued to defend herself.
On Twitter, The Washington Examiner wrote, “Kathy Griffin advocates for someone to stab Donald Trump with syringe full of air.” In response, she tweeted, “I SURE DID, F–KER. #TrumpLiedPeopleDied.”
Griffin and Trump have previously feuded following the outrage over her Trump “beheading” photo — which ultimately lost her work, including her annual New Year’s Eve co-hosting gig on CNN.
As a result of the controversial photograph, the My Life on the D-List star lost income, received death threats, was denounced by Trump, landed on an Interpol criminal list and was afraid to leave home. She also said she was under investigation by the Department of Justice for two months.
Despite this, Griffin hit out at Trump again in March, saying she had “unbearably painful” symptoms of the novel coronavirus and accused the president of lying about how many tests the United States had performed.
In response to one of his tweets — which boasted about a supposedly large number of American citizens who had been tested for the coronavirus — Griffin wrote, “He’s lying.”
Her tweet was accompanied by a photo of herself in the hospital.
“I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing unbearably painful symptoms,” she wrote.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
— With files from Global News’ Katie Scott