President Donald Trump on Wednesday broke his silence about the racism row engulfing supporter Roseanne Barr, not to condemn her outburst but to attack ABC television for broadcasting "horrible" statements against himself.
The US network on Tuesday cancelled hit sitcom "Roseanne," after star Barr fired off a racist tweet against former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, who was one of Barack Obama's closest aides.
"It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting" wrote the 65-year-old actress, whose hit comedy "Roseanne" was axed by ABC over the post that read: "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj."
Jarrett revealed that Bob Iger, the head of ABC parent company Disney, telephoned her personally to tell her the network was cancelling the show.
Barr later apologised for what she called a "joke." But ABC said it was cancelling the show, condemning her "abhorrent, repugnant" tweet, which was "inconsistent with our values."
"Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that 'ABC does not tolerate comments like those' made by Roseanne Barr," Trump tweeted Wednesday.
"Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologise for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn't get the call?"
On Tuesday, the White House deflected questions on the scandal and whether ABC had been right to cancel the sitcom.
"That's not what the president is looking at," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. "I think that we have a lot bigger things going on in the country right now."
'Racism not a side effect'
Pharma giant Sanofi has hit back at Barr’s claims she had taken a sleeping pill before her outburst.
In a since-deleted overnight tweet, Barr blamed a dose of Ambien for the incendiary tweet in which she likened Valerie Jarrett, an African American former White House aide, to an ape.
The French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi was quick to push back - trolling Barr in an acerbic post that quickly went viral.
"People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world," the drugmaker tweeted.
"While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication."
"Roseanne" was rebooted in March after a 21-year hiatus with Barr's character recast as a Trump supporter in a rare depiction of working class life on the US small screen.
The show scored huge ratings and was renewed for an 11th season after largely positive reviews - including from the president.
Barr, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump who has previously used Twitter to voice hard-right and conspiracy theorist views, has been dropped by her talent agency ICM amid a wave of public outrage over the tweet.
She called her own actions indefensible, saying: "I made a mistake I wish I hadn't but...don't defend it please."
