Rupert Murdoch has been criticised for insinuating President Obama is not a “real black president” with a tweet endorsing the Republican candidate Dr Ben Carson.
The News Corporation boss uses Twitter to share his often provocative opinions on social, political or environmental issues. On Wednesday, the 84-year-old wrote: “Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide?”
He pointed to an article in the New York Magazine questioning whether Mr Obama had done enough for black and ethnic minorities during his two terms in office.
Murdoch's tweet was widely mocked for suggesting the President is not truly black.
Dr Carson has emerged as a controversial right-wing candidate, provoking outage by saying he would “absolutely not” want a Muslim to be President and suggesting victims of the Oregan school massacre could have done more to tackle the shooter.
The Republican nominee is closing in on his rival Donald Trump in opinion polls, who in June suggested there would be no black presidents for a while after Mr Obama’s Presidency and claimed there was “no spirit” among African-American youths anymore.
“There’s no spirit,” the business magnate said in the wake of the Charleston church shooting. “I thought that President Obama would be a great cheerleader for the country. And he’s really become very divisive.”
