‘SNL’ Writer Suspended Over Barron Trump Tweet

By Jack Phillips
January 23, 2017 Last Updated: January 23, 2017
Barron Trump and his mother Melania Trump stand on stage after Republican president-elect Donald Trump delivered his acceptance speech at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City on Nov. 9, 2016. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A few days after a “Saturday Night Live” writer made a crude joke about President Donald Trump’s son, Barron, she was suspended.

Katie Rich, the writer, deleted the tweet and later took her account offline. But on Monday, the account reappeared with an apology: “I sincerely apologize for the insensitive tweet. I deeply regret my actions & offensive words. It was inexcusable & I’m so sorry.”

She had tweeted that 10-year-old Barron “will be this country’s first homeschool shooter” during Inauguration Day, which was met with widespread criticism. Some called for her to be fired.

According to Deadline, “SNL” moved to suspend her on Monday, and she wasn’t listed in the credits for the last episode that aired Saturday.

Later, the New York Times, citing a person close to “SNL,” reported that her suspension is indefinite.

(Katie Rich/Twitter)
(Katie Rich/Twitter)

She had been writing for “SNL” since December 2013 and works for the show’s “Weekend Update” segment.

When she apologized on Twitter, users continued to deride her over the remarks.

The move comes at a pernicious time for “SNL,” which has frequently made fun of President Trump. However, the show has been frequently subjected to criticism from Trump and his supporters for political bias.

After an episode aired on Jan. 14, Trump derided actor Alec Baldwin, who portrays Trump on the show, on Twitter. “NBC News is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!” he tweeted.