Outspoken ESPN host Sage Steele is under fire after seemingly questioning Barack Obama’s ethnic background one week after calling the company’s vaccine mandate “scary”.
Steele went off on Uncut with Jay Cutler on Wednesday when explaining how “fascinating” she finds former President Obama identifying as Black since he was raised by his white mother and grandmother.
While recalling a story when she was criticized for identifying as “biracial,” and was told
she had to choose between “Black” or “white,” Cutler noted how Obama identified as Black on the census. But Steele interjected and questioned how Obama could see himself as Black considering as he didn’t grow up knowing his Kenyan father.“I’m like, ‘Well, congratulations to the president. That’s his thing.’ I think that’s fascinating considering his Black dad was nowhere to be found, but his White mom and grandma raised him, but hey, you do you. I’m going to do me,” Steele said to Cutler.
It was on the 2010 Census where Obama identified himself as Black, The Washington Post reports. But once Steele’s snarky criticism of Obama’ ethnicity reached Black Twitter, they let her have it.
“So on top of thinking former President Obama shouldn’t identify as black because he didn’t have a relationship with his black father, Sage Steele also thinks female journalists who dress a certain way “know what you’re doing when you’re putting that outfit on.” Clown behavior,” Jemele Hil
l tweeted while highlighting another controversial statement she made during the podcast appearance.“So does she put “white” on her census form?” asked someone else.
Steele’s comments on Obama come one week after she made media headlines for referring to ESPN’s vaccine mandate as “sick” and “scary,” and said she received the vaccine but “didn’t want to do it,” NY Post
reports.As a result of her stance on the COVID vaccine, she has been pulled off the ESPN airwaves.
“I know my recent comments created controversy for the company, and I apologize,” Steele said in a statement. “We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us, and it’s more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully.”