CNN's Bill Weir issues sexist insult against GOP candidate, and gets fierce social media backlash

A climate correspondent for CNN made what many saw as a sexist attack against a female Republican candidate and saw a fierce backlash on social media.

Bill Weir diminished the accomplishments of Kelly Loeffler, the businesswoman running in the run-off election for one of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats, in a tweet on Wednesday.

"Good news, Georgia!" tweeted Weir. "If you live on a farm, you now qualify to marry the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange!"

Weir was mocking Loeffler for speaking about how she was able to achieve the American dream despite getting started from humble beginnings.

"I've lived the American dream. I went from the farm to the Fortune 500. I want Georgians to have the same freedom & opportunities I had," said Loeffler in the tweet Weir mocked. "And it won't be possible if we go down the road to socialism. We must hold the line and protect the American Dream."

Loeffler had worked to achieve an impressive business career before she married the CEO of a financial services company, but Weir denigrated those achievements and earned the ire of many on social media.

"Are you seriously insinuating that a woman is only successful because of her spouse?" responded Heritage analyst Ana Rosa Quintana.

"You are a disgusting, sexist pig," responded California GOP committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon.

"If a Fox News correspondent said something like this about a Democratic candidate, it'd be a lead story on CNN and feminists would be denouncing it," said commentator Erick Erickson.

Thanks so much to @BillWeirCNN for explaining why half the country thinks the left wing media is hot garbage in a single tweet," tweeted Red State editor Kira Davis.

"Are you serious with this take? Are you actually suggesting that her success just came from marriage? Because it sounds like you should read a bit more," replied NRSC advisor Matt Whitlock.

Others pointed out that CNN had reported on "sexist rhetoric" that female politicians had experienced during elections to show the hypocrisy in Weir's mocking tweet.

Weir had previously apologized in 2014 for referring to Fox News as "willfully ignorant f**ksticks."

Here's Bill Weir talking to Trump supporters in 2018:

CNN anchor Bill Weir talks politics with Sturgis bikerswww.youtube.com