First Daughter Ivanka Trump accompanied German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Women 20 (W-20), an international women’s summit which attracted various female leaders from G-20 countries.
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While on a panel, Trump faced tough questions about her father, whose public treatment of women is troublesome to many. In fact, the audience booed and hissed at her when she said that he was “a tremendous champion of supporting families.”
RELATED: Ivanka Trump gets real about what it means to be a first daughter
On Monday evening, Fox News’ Jesse Watters criticized “the Left” for their treatment of Trump and women. But it’s the comment he made right after the accusation that made many viewers uncomfortable:
WATCH: Jesse Watters on Fox News re Ivanka Trump: "I really like how she was speaking into that microphone" pic.twitter.com/HoJHLpMtq1
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 26, 2017
“It’s funny. The Left says they really respect women, and then when given an opportunity to respect a woman like that, they boo and hiss,” he said.
Watters’ next comment made viewers believe he was making a crude joke about the first daughter.
“I really liked how she was speaking into that microphone,” Watters said while making a motion with his hand.
RELATED: Following Bill O’Reilly’s exit, Fox News is reportedly making some administrative changes
The comment attracted social media ire:
The Jesse Waters on-air joke about Ivanka doesn't really dispel those employee claims that Fox News has a leering frat boy atmosphere, huh?
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) April 26, 2017
Jesse Waters complains the Left doesn't respect Ivanka Trump and then in front of 2.5 million people intimates Ivanka was blowing her mike.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/HadleyFreeman/status/857221411311681536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fgregp-3534%2F2017%2F04%2F26%2Ffox-news-jesse-watters-under-fire-over-ivanka-trump-microphone-comment%2F
O'Reilly's sidekick got promoted after O'Reilly got fired over sexual harassment allegations. How his first week in the new job is going… https://t.co/iBfUhLpN02
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) April 26, 2017
Watters later provided a statement to Mediaite: “During the break we were commenting on Ivanka’s voice and how it was low and steady and resonates like a smooth jazz radio DJ. This was in no way a joke about anything else.”
Watters’ comments were made very close to other controversies at Fox News, particularly the numerous accusations of sexual harassment leading to the departures of former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes and anchor Bill O’Reilly.