News channel Fox News has come under fire in the US for featuring a guest who jokingly called for the assassination of probable Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama.
Former New York bureau chief of the Washington Times Liz Trotta referred to the Illinois senator as Osama, before quipping that it would be nice if they both got “knocked-off”.
"...and now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama — Obama. Well, both, if we could," Trotta said on Fox News during an interview about the presidential race.
"Talk about how you really feel," the surprised host responded.
Liberal commentators in the US have expressed fury at Trotta’s remarks, suggesting that if a left-wing media identity had jokingly suggested the assassination of George W. Bush they would be “interrogated by the secret service.”
The Fox News gaffe follows a storm whipped up by Obama’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, who cited the assassination of Bobby Kennedy when giving reasons for why she was staying in the race for her party's nomination.
Obama is considered at high risk of being assassinated because of his potential position as the first African-American president of the United States.
He has been under secret service protection for over a year.