Ann Coulter "jokes" about killing Meghan McCain, Fox News deletes the blog post

Fox will let Coulter get away with a lot. But it draws the line at joking about murdering someone, apparently

Published April 11, 2013 3:59PM (EDT)

In a now-deleted Fox News blog post on gun control, Ann Coulter remarked that if "Republican senators need to have a member of their families killed for them to support the Democrats' gun proposals" they should "start with Meghan McCain."

The line was a reference to MSNBC host Martin Bashir's question to Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings about a possible filibuster on a Senate gun proposal. Bashir asked the Democratic congressman (rhetorically, it should go without saying) if a personal experience with violence was really necessary for Republicans to support stricter gun laws:

“But Congressman,” Bashir said, “is that what needs to happen to move these senators to stop threatening a filibuster? Is that really what needs to happen? That you need to have a member of your family killed in order for you to do what the American people want you to do?”

“I hope not,” Rep. Cummings replied. “I don’t wish this pain on anybody.”

Coulter's blog comment, while offensive and violent, was clearly intended to be some kind of "joke," but McCain isn't laughing.

In a series of tweets, McCain said that Coulter's suggestion that someone shoot her "isn't funny or appropriate" and expressed anger that Fox News had published the blog to begin with. In a now-deleted tweet posted by New York magazine's Adam Martin, McCain asked: "The column with the joke about me being killed currently on fox news nations website, appropriate fox?"

[embedtweet id="322192440054407168"]

[embedtweet id="322195496422739969"]

Coulter's blog post is still offline at the Fox News website.

Fox News and Coulter have not yet responded to requests for comment.

 


By Katie McDonough

Katie McDonough is Salon's politics writer, focusing on gender, sexuality and reproductive justice. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.

MORE FROM Katie McDonough


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Ann Coulter Fox News Guns Meghan Mccain