Fox News host Sean Hannity criticized Michelle Obama for her "demeaning" comments comparing America's relationship with President Donald Trump to that of a child with their divorced dad.
Obama, the former first lady, made the comments to comedian Stephen Colbert at an event in London, England, as part of her book tour.
"We come from a broken family," Obama said. "We're a teenager. We're a little unsettled. And having good parents is tough. Sometimes you spend weekends with divorced dad.
"That feels like it's fun but then you get sick. That's what America's gone through. We're kind of living with divorced dad, right."
During his show on Tuesday night, Hannity hit out at Obama's comments.
"I know some great divorced dads that love their kids. Whatever happened to, 'When they go low, we go high'?" Hannity said, adding that "even some of the destroy Trump media, they're pushing back at these ridiculous comments, frankly, this broad-sweeping generalization."
Hannity described the comments as "demeaning and insulting" to America's divorced dads. The conservative host referenced the divorces of his guest Geraldo Rivera, Fox News correspondent-at-large, and said his children still love him.
"She's reduced us to a sexist stereotype with a bad parent who gives candy and lets the kids watch too much TV because we have a guilty conscience about the break-up of the marriage," Rivera told Hannity.
"We're drinking beer, we see the kids every other Sunday, and they're running around, 'Go ahead kid, eat all the cotton candy you want.'
"And she's equating that scenario with the American people and their view of President Trump. That's what this is about. This is about a false feelgood sentiment in the country because of the president's irresponsibility."
Hannity's other guest, Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce, said Obama's comment also implied the gender stereotypes that all women are great mothers and that only women are good at raising children.
Obama did not respond immediately to Newsweek 's request for comment.
At the same event to promote her book Becoming , Obama referred to the current period as a "dark chapter" for America but urged people to have hope.
"I have to remind people that Barack Obama was elected twice in the United States. That really did happen," she told the crowd of 15,000 people, according to The Guardian.
"That wasn't make-believe. The country actually did accomplish it, and half the people who voted in the last election, if they could have, they would have voted for him for a third term."
She continued: "We have to remember that what is happening today is true, but what happened before was also true… That should give us some solace at some level."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Shane Croucher is a Senior Editor based in London, UK. He oversees the My Turn team. He has previously overseen ... Read more
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