Kathy Griffin calls out Don Cheadle for not defending her anti-Trumpism — and gets slapped down hard

Actor Don Cheadle did not appreciate comedian Kathy Griffin calling him out publicly for not defending her anti-Trump actions, and he responded with a swift and brutal slap down in several parts on Twitter.

The feud began when Cheadle posted a photo of himself wearing a hat that was publicizing a liberal anti-Trump "resistance" group. Griffin took the occasion to bitterly remind him that he didn't back her up when she was being criticized for her own anti-Trump protests.

"Oh GREAT Don," responded Griffin. "I will never forgive you for your nasty tweet the day my smear campaign started."

"You know it was a f**king smear campaign and you have never taken a moment to apologize," she added. "Some liberal you are. Yes, my memory is long my ex friend. Shame on you. I kept a list. Fear me."

Cheadle responded with a simple, "huh?"

This only angered Griffin, who kept on attacking Cheadle.

"Huh? You're a dick in real life," she responded, "but believe it or not I truly hope what I went through never happens to you. Never."

"And if it did I would be the first in line to stand up for you," she continued, "get my ass on television and do everything I could to defend you & the 1st amendment."

"It's easy don," she concluded.

Cheadle then hit her with a long explanation of why he didn't defend her extremist anti-Trump photo shoot, and he took numerous tweets to do it.

"Sigh," he began, "ok, kathy."

"1) we had one conversation on a flight about our mutual disgust for individual 1. i don't 'friend' that quickly so we can't really be 'exes,'" Cheadle tweeted.

Cheadle went on to say that he thought her "cringe worthy photo-op" meant to criticize the president was a terrible idea and self-defeating.

2) had i been your "friend" and you had asked my opinion, i would have said, "kathy. for you own sake, please do NOT depict yourself holding the bloody, severed head of the president, evoking daesh, daniel pearl and every other painful, disturbing memory associated with it, your first amendment rights notwithstanding."

and had you said, "fkkk you, i'm doing it anyway," i would've said, "well girl, be prepared to have the dogs sicced on you. the secret service doesn't play around with sh*t like that no matter WHO the president is. you're also risking your career for what i see as zero upside. just tell him to #diagf like i do." maybe you would have listened. doubt it.

taking every opportunity to oppose him and support those looking to unseat him, IS defending you albeit not your personal, cringe worthy photo-op. 4) apologize for a tweet!?

..5) i'm sorry that you're still dealing with the aftershocks of your actions. it's egregious.

Griffin didn't respond after the sound scolding from Cheadle.

Griffin was excoriated by both left and right after she published images from a photo op with what was meant to appear like the severed head of President Donald Trump. The comedian has complained since that she has lost out on opportunities to advance her career because of the blowback from the offensive photos.