Former CNN host Piers Morgan was on the defensive on social media after prodding the Black Lives Matter movement on Twitter. The broadcaster received backlash on Tuesday after replying to the tweet “ALL black lives matter” posted by Marc Lamont Hill, CNN political commentator, with the line “ALL lives matter”.
ALL lives matter. > RT @marclamonthill ALL black lives matter.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 21, 2015
While some Twitter users were extremely angry because of his post, many responded in a more mocking tone. And Morgan took the time to answer many of his critics.
Regularly. > RT @MattStoryMusic .@piersmorgan Do you go to "Save the Rainforest" events and scream, "Save ALL forests!"? @marclamonthill
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 21, 2015
He continued on Wednesday morning when he posted a warning about his column looking at Nicki Minaj’s reaction to her music video for Anaconda not receiving a VMA nomination for video of the year. He wrote: “Warning to Black Twitter: I don’t think you’re going to like my column about @NICKIMINAJ”.
Only 12 minutes later, he added: “I haven’t even posted my @NICKIMINAJ column yet and #BlackTwitter is already branding me a disgrace...”
His next tweet, posted a minute after the last, was directed at Taylor Swift. He claimed she would be a fan of his column. Swift, whose video Bad Blood was nominated for video of the year, had become defensive over Minaj’s tweets Tuesday night claiming that “women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year”.
Morgan’s article for the Daily Mail, entitled “Don’t play the race or skinny cards, Ms Minaj – you’re just a stroppy little piece of work whose video wasn’t as good as Taylor Swift’s” received negative feedback.
Piers Morgan turned into that bitter, resentful friend from high school halfway through writing this headline pic.twitter.com/U0azJNaqjX
— Margarita Twitteando (@margarita) July 22, 2015
But Morgan did succeed in making the trending list, an accomplishment he was very proud of.
BOOM! pic.twitter.com/q2IAP43CMA
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 22, 2015
Morgan has courted his fair share of media storms over the past year. In October 2014 he lashed out at former colleague Anderson Cooper numerous times and accused him of being the reason ratings for the show he hosted, Piers Morgan Tonight, were so low. During an interview with Politico, he blamed Cooper’s lead-in on the show for his poor performance in the ratings.
“Could I have done with a better lead-in?” he said. “Yes. Anderson is a great field reporter, but does he drive big ratings at CNN, outside of a big news cycle? I don’t see any evidence of it.”
He also spoke negatively of Anderson during an interview with Access Hollywood, and called him “stiff in a studio” in a column he wrote for the Hollywood Reporter.
When one Twitter user begged the US to not return Morgan to the UK following his tweet on Tuesday, others began brainstorming other places he could be sent. No consensus was reached.
@supermishelle @mo_ali @darrylayo @piersmorgan bit unfair to the moon
— Jamie McKelvie (@McKelvie) July 21, 2015
