Former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett said late Tuesday that Roseanne Barr’s racist Twitter attack against her stems from a tone being set by President Trump.
“The tone does start at the top, and we like to look up to our president and feel as though he reflects the values of our country,” Jarrett said on MSNBC. “But I also think every individual citizen has a responsibility too, and it’s up to all of us to push back. Our government is only going to be as good as we make it be.”
Jarrett appeared on an MSNBC town hall to discuss “everyday racism.”
Barr tweeted earlier in the day that Jarrett was the child of the Islamist organization Muslim Brotherhood and the movie “Planet of the Apes.”
{mosads} “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” Barr wrote on Tuesday morning, referencing Jarrett’s initials.
The message was in response to a tweet accusing Jarrett of helping to “hide” misdeeds by the Obama administration.
Barr later apologized to Jarrett in a public tweet, deleted the tweet and said she was “leaving Twitter.”
Barr in a series of tweets early Wednesday claimed she had been “Ambien tweeting,” referring to the sleep aid.
“I think we have to turn it into a teaching moment,” Jarrett said on MSNBC.
She said she was doing “fine” with the issue.
“I’m worried about all the people out there who don’t have a circle of friends and followers who come right to their defense,” Jarrett said.
ABC canceled the political reboot of her show “Roseanne,” saying Barr’s statement was “abhorrent” and “repugnant.”
The reboot, which premiered in March to record-breaking numbers, portrayed Barr’s character as a modern Trump supporter.
Trump has praised the show and its star. He even called the comedian to offer his congratulations after the show’s success.
The White House, however, refused to answer questions about ABC’s cancellation of the show during a Tuesday press briefing.
The president also did not address the incident during a campaign appearance in Tennessee late Tuesday.