Jemele Hill on calling Trump a white supremacist: ‘I don’t take it back’

Embattled ESPN anchor Jemele Hill says she doesn’t regret calling President Trump a “white supremacist.”

In an interview on the “Now What?” podcast hosted by former NFL running back Arian Foster, Ms. Hill said the only thing she “really felt regretful about” was putting her coworkers “in some awkward positions.”

“So mostly it was just about, for me, it was just dealing with, sorting through everything at work,” she said. “It really wasn’t — I didn’t care what the president said. That was no big deal.”

Ms. Hill, the co-host of “SC6,” was suspended by ESPN for two weeks in October for a second violation of the network’s social media guidelines.

In addition to calling Mr. Trump a “white supremacist,” she called on consumers to boycott Dallas Cowboys advertisers after the team’s owner, Jerry Jones, cracked down on players kneeling during the national anthem.

On the podcast uploaded Wednesday, Mr. Foster brought up the feud between Ms. Hill and the White House with some caution.

“And so for those — and for those that don’t know, she said that Trump was a white supremacist,” Mr. Foster said. “And I know you have a — you have big brother watching.”

“I mean, I said what I said, and I don’t take it back,” Ms. Hill shot back. “Like, I ain’t need a retraction.”

“No retraction?” Mr. Foster said.

“No, I never have, and I never will,” she answered.

Ms. Hill said the situation “steamrolled” after White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggested calling Mr. Trump a “white supremacist” was a “fireable offense.”

“She’s so trash,” Mr. Foster jumped in, referring to Mrs. Sanders. “I’m [going to] say it for you. She’s so trash.”

Ms. Hill said Mr. Trump “clearly took delight” in her suspension.

The former athlete and the ESPN personality also insinuated that Mr. Trump disproportionately singles out black journalists for criticism.

“And obviously I’m not the only journalist that has been attacked by him,” Ms. Hill said.

“And they’re mostly colored people, so,” Mr. Foster responded.

“There seems to be a commonality about all of them,” she added.