In a move that can only be categorized as deeply ironic, presidential candidate Donald Trump says he believes talk-show host and political pundit Tavis Smiley is “racist.”
The accusation came just one day after Smiley appeared on ABC’s This Week and called the Republican frontrunner “an unrepentant, irascible, religious and racial arsonist,” a scathing critique made in reference to polarizing remarks Trump has made about various minority groups during his campaign.
Never one to shy away from a verbal showdown, on Monday, Trump shot back at Smiley via social media.
“Why does [This Week] allow a hater & racist like Tavis Smiley to waste good airtime?” he tweeted. “ABC can do much better than him!”
Why does @ThisWeekABC w/ @GStephanopoulos allow a hater & racist like @tavissmiley to waste good airtime? @ABC can do much better than him!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2016
For the record, Smiley hosts a talk show on PBS, (not ABC) and is currently promoting the release of his new book, The Covenant With Black America: Ten Years Later.