A Saturday Night Live writer has been sacked over an offensive Barron Trump tweet as Chelsea Clinton defends the president's son.
The SNL writer has been suspended indefinitely after tweeting a poorly received joke about Trump's 10-year-old son, Barron.
In a now-deleted tweet, Katie Rich tweeted that Barron "will be this country's first homeschool shooter."
An outcry on social media from across the political spectrum followed, with many calling for a boycott of the comedy show.
Rich later deactivated her account but then reactivated it on Monday, saying she wanted to "sincerely apologise" for the "insensitive" tweet and "deeply regrets" her actions.
A person familiar with the situation but not authorised to speak publicly told the Associated Press Rich was suspended immediately after writing the tweet. TV network NBC, which broadcasts Saturday Night Live, had no comment.
Chelsea Clinton has defended President Donald Trump's youngest son, as her parents, Bill and Hillary, reportedly plot their comeback.
The former first daughter hit out at critics after 10-year-old Barron was taunted online following his father's inauguration.
"Barron Trump deserves the chance every child does - to be a kid. Standing up for every kid also means opposing POTUS policies that hurt kids," Clinton wrote on Facebook overnight.
Barron Trump deserves the chance every child does-to be a kid. Standing up for every kid also means opposing @POTUS policies that hurt kids.
During the inauguration ceremony, Modern Family actress Julie Bowen shared a number of Instagram posts poking fun at Barron.
"I think Barron is on his Gameboy. Can't say I blame him," she captioned one photo of Barron looking at the floor during his father's swearing-in ceremony.
Comedian Rosie O'Donnell was forced to apologise to Melania Trump after sharing a video on Twitter that suggested Barron could be autistic.
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton spent her teenage years in the White House when her father was president from 1993 to 2001.
Just 12 when her father was inaugurated, she grew up under the spotlight and was often mocked mercilessly. One of the hardest was when she was 13, and American talk show host Rush Limbaugh compared her to a dog. "Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is also a White House dog?" he said, before showing an image of the young Chelsea. Limbaugh later apologised.
It comes as Politico reports Hillary Clinton is working out how to return to the political fray, as she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, examine election results to understand what went wrong in her campaign.
Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton arrive on Capitol Hill in Washington for the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. Photo / AP
"Despite the grave disappointment, resilience is in the Clintons' DNA. So, while I certainly don't expect to see them trying to assert their authority, I think there will be natural and welcome opportunities for them to engage," said Mack McLarty, Bill Clinton's former chief of staff.
Politico reports Hillary Clinton is receiving briefings from her former campaign manager, Robby Mook, explaining what failed in the 2016 presidential race.
There have been no conversations about her starting her own political group, but she has discussed opportunities with Organising For Action, former President Barack Obama's initiative.
Bill Clinton has reportedly been blasting FBI director James Comey for interfering in the election. While neither is expected to seek public office again, they will still likely be involved in Democratic politics.
"If someone they knew was running for the Senate or the Statehouse or City Hall, it would be out of character for them not to be supportive," McLarty told Politico.
Former DNC chairman Ed Rendell said: "I'm certain Trump will screw up enough that by the fall of '18, Hillary's numbers will be way up again."
In the meantime, Bill Clinton has jumped back into work with the Clinton Foundation, while Hillary Clinton is considering doing some writing.
