ESPN’s Keith Olbermann apologizes for threatening hunter
"I am an opponent of trophy hunting and remain so, but nobody should feel threatened."
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — ESPN broadcaster Keith Olbermann has apologized for insulting and threatening a Mississippi turkey hunter who killed a rare white turkey.
The Clarion-Ledger reports the former MSNBC political commentator tweeted Wednesday that he was sorry for his earlier tweet that threatened 22-year-old Hunter Waltman of Kiln, Mississippi. The Clarion-Ledger wrote a story Monday about how Waltman had bagged the rare bird, which is not illegal to hunt.
I am an opponent of trophy hunting and remain so, but nobody should feel threatened. This was anything but my intent, so I unreservedly apologize to Mr. Waltman for this tweet.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 27, 2019
The threatening tweet sent Monday has since been taken down. It asked readers to make sure the rest of Waltman’s life is “a living hell.” It also asked the Clarion-Ledger to fire reporter Brian Broom, who wrote about Waltman’s kill. Olbermann called Broom a “nitwit clown” and Waltman a “pea-brained scumbag.”
Waltman told Broom on Wednesday that he had been verbally attacked in response to Olbermann’s tweet. The newspaper’s executive editor, Sam R. Hall, tweeted that Olbermann’s threatening message was “recklessly irresponsible.”
In our newsroom, that would be a fireable offense, not writing a story about a hunter bagging a turkey.
— Sam R. Hall (@samrhall) March 27, 2019
Many on Twitter asked ESPN if Olbermann’s actions violated company policy.
