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Jemele HIll, journalist for The Atlantic and former host at ESPN's His and Hers, recently talked about the tweet that put her front and center in the conversation around racism and President Donald Trump.
During an interview on Dan Le Batard's "South Beach Sessions," podcast, Hill spoke about the aftermath of a tweet she found somewhat ordinary and mundane but that blew up out of proportion once it went viral on social media. The tweet said:
"Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists."
@DonnyParlock @demillz84 @JayG34 Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.— Jemele Hill (@Jemele Hill) 1505174080.0
If anyone is thinking Hill would back down from the tweet a year later, think again, but she does say at the time she didn't think the tweet was a surprise or even shocking news.
She told Le Batard:
"I was in the middle of a Twitter conversation, I was replying to somebody. If I was really trying to make a bold statement, I would have added the damn president. I didn't, I was just talking casually with somebody."
"It wasn't even original. That's what is so crazy. I got famous for saying something that wasn't original. It wasn't new. It was not breaking news. I thought we all decided this after Charlottesville."
As for feeling bad about what she said?
"I knew almost immediately that, if I did face some kind of permanent discipline, if I did lose my job, if I was immediately suspended, I was OK with it."
"I would have felt worse if I felt I took a shot at somebody who didn't deserve it. If I felt it was a mistake … I probably would have felt bad about it, but I never did."
Hill does admit she was sorry for the negativity aimed at ESPN.
"The company I had been at for 12 years was about to catch hell. I might have said the right thing but I dangled it in front of the wrong people."
It may be over a year later but people continue sticking by Hill.
@nypost Truth— Shelly (@Shelly) 1545947266.0
@nypost She was, is. and will always be correct.— AMD (@AMD) 1545962150.0
@nypost @bannerite https://t.co/nLHLWH3uMs— Two Old Broads (@Two Old Broads) 1545957961.0
@nypost #ImWithHer We love you J.H All the way here in Utah! We support you and often feel so powerless to the me… https://t.co/c00pnFBpi2— Coral 🐝❤️🇺🇸#NoJusticeNoPeace (@Coral 🐝❤️🇺🇸#NoJusticeNoPeace) 1545957766.0
@nypost Pretty much https://t.co/LGTQkgU7PV— KoldFactz100 (@KoldFactz100) 1545958028.0
Jemele Hill on calling Trump a white supremacist: "I thought I was saying water is wet ... I didn’t even think it w… https://t.co/Plo1mF3Nbb— Bill Madden (@Bill Madden) 1545958108.0
@activist360 @jemelehill Like father like son 45— davidburke28@googlem (@davidburke28@googlem) 1545958420.0
@activist360 @jemelehill It isn't controversial. It's a statement of fact.— Dr. CAM #ERANow #VoteBlueIn2022 (@Dr. CAM #ERANow #VoteBlueIn2022) 1545958211.0
@activist360 @DrylyRiley @jemelehill Of course she’s right.— JustKeith ❄️️ (@JustKeith ❄️️) 1545959092.0
@activist360 @jemelehill There is nothing wrong with telling the truth.— Susie E (@Susie E) 1545960253.0
@theblaze She’s right, because it’s not controversial. It’s the honest truth, and Trump and his supporters hate the truth.— Independent Patriot (@Independent Patriot) 1545952000.0
Hill says:
"I got famous for saying something that wasn't original."
We say it doesn't matter how you got here, we're just happy you arrived.