Election commentary is a fraught game and now that Election Day is finally here, the internet is full of people talking recklessly.
TV personality Keith Olbermann woke up Tuesday morning and decided to unload on President Donald Trump in a strange way. Trump appeared on Fox News early Tuesday morning to discuss the election and spent several minutes bashing Fox News for covering speeches by former President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Joe Biden.
While some people joked about the awkward position Fox News hosts were in as the president assailed the network, few took it as far as Olbermann.
"Yes, Donald Trump has always been, will always be, and on the day of his bid for re-election, still is: a whiny little Kunta Kinte," he wrote in a now-deleted tweet.
The tweet immediately drew confused responses from dozens of people online questioning what that was supposed to mean and why it sounded like he meant something racial by invoking the famous Roots character.
Olbermann's apology only made things worse.
"Just logged back in: I apologize for my previous subtweet of this. I was using an old 70's-80's technique for calling somebody a c*** without writing/saying c***, just using a sound-alike to call Trump a c***. Deleting previous, largely because this one clarifies the c*** part," he wrote.
Just logged back in: I apologize for my previous subtweet of this. I was using an old 70's-80's technique for calling somebody a c*** without writing/saying c***, just using a sound-alike to call Trump a c***
Deleting previous, largely because this one clarifies the c*** part https://t.co/hIIrt1Ke17
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) November 3, 2020
LeVar Burton, the now legendary actor who played the role of Kunta Kinte in the series, decided get Olbermann together for the weird tweet and even weirder apology.
Dear @KeithOlbermann, #Kunta is pronounced with a long “u” as in unity, not a short “u” as in cup.
Try again!
Love,
Kunta— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) November 3, 2020
Burton changed his profile picture to the iconic character.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/sGjjKcXvrw
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) November 3, 2020
Others had thoughts on Olbermann's word choice.
Olbermann and his boys hanging out back in the day calling each other Kunta Kinte
— Autumnal Gambino (@PrettyBadLefty) November 3, 2020
How many times do you think Keith Olbermann has told that "whiny little Kunta Kinte" joke before tweeting it?
My fucking gawd. smh
— Genie Lauren (@MoreAndAgain) November 3, 2020
A "whiny little Kunta Kinte?"
I'm not fully fluent in WhiteSpeak, but it *feels* like Keith Olbermann just said "nigger." pic.twitter.com/iKfGzCLlYP— the artist formerly known as haitreason (@thurgoodhamer) November 3, 2020
Others loved Burton's response.
There's enough shade in this tweet to slow global warming.
— FEMINazgûl (@WordsOnIce) November 3, 2020
Readdingg Raiinnnboowwwwwww pic.twitter.com/Ay8pltTblV
— Tᴏɴʏ! Tᴏɴɪ! Tᴏɴᴇ́! ???????????????????? (R.I.P.) ???? (@StarkTTT) November 3, 2020
Keith Olbermann should throw shade elsewhere. He doesn't want smoke with the Reading Rainbow generation.
— Denee Hunt (@sportjunkie247) November 3, 2020
Despite trying to criticize and call out Trump, it's safe to say Olbermann received a lesson of his own.
