Former AFL star Sam Newman is being torn apart on social media over a savage tweet in which he called the US President-elect Joe Biden mentally retarded.The 74-year-old took to Twitter on Sunday after Biden was declared the winner of the US presidential election.
“Great day for inclusion and diversity,” Newman wrote in the tweet which has now been deleted. “Shows someone who is mentally retarded and has special needs, can attain high office. Congratulations, Joe Biden.”
His comments have been slammed by thousands on social media, who called the post “vile” and called for his account to be deleted.
RELATED: Follow our live coverage of the US election result
Newman is no stranger to the headlines, having built a career on his constant controversial remarks.
He made headlines in June after calling George Floyd, whose death sparked protests across the US by the Black Lives Matter movement, a “piece of s**t”.
His comment on the US election result comes after Aussie comedian Dave Hughes came under fire for mocking Joe Biden’s stutter earlier in the week.
“Joe Biden just had a mad struggle stringing sentences together. Is it the autocue?” Hughes wrote on Twitter.
He deleted the tweet and quickly backed down explaining he didn’t know Biden had a stutter.
“I genuinely didn’t know Biden has always had a speech impediment. Good on him. Thanks for the heads up!,” he said.
But the damage was already done, with the 49-year-old trending on Twitter for his remark.
“This is what people that have stutters deal with all the time, though, isn’t it? They don’t typically wear a sign saying they have a stutter,” fellow comedian Josh Thomas said.
Hughes jumped back on Twitter to apologise for his comment, saying he would “never mock someone’s stutter”.
“I was commenting on Joe’s struggle to read the autocue,” he explained.
“I didn’t think it had anything to do with a stutter. Sorry for my ignorance.”
Biden has spoken publicly about his stutter in the past, telling The Atlantic it began at age four.
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