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Food Network star Alton Brown apologized Wednesday morning for making a “flippant” reference to the Holocaust on Twitter in what he said was an attempt to show how “deeply frightened” he is by the current political climate.
“I apologize for the offhand reference I made to the Holocaust in my tweet last night. It was not a reference I made for a humorous effect, but rather to reflect how I am deeply afraid for our country. It was a very bad use of judgment and bad taste “, the 58-year-old host tweeted.
The Food Network did not immediately respond to TODAY Food’s request for comment.
On Tuesday evening, Brown posted two tweets that prompted a reaction from some of his 4.5 million subscribers.
“Do you think the camp uniforms will be striped, like the ones at Auschwitz or that the checks will be in fashion?” he said, according to a screenshot of the now deleted tweet taken by TODAY.
When someone replied that it would depend on “who you voted for”, Brown replied, “I don’t have gold fillings,” referring to the Nazi practice of pulling gold teeth out of victims of the Holocaust.
In the second tweet, which has since also been deleted, Brown questioned whether people would be placed in concentration camps.
“So when they take us to the camps, do you think they’ll let us choose the state? I’m going to ask Kansas because the sky is so beautiful over there … over the wheat,” he wrote .
Brown’s comments sparked backlash from some of his followers, who asked him to reconsider what he tweeted.
“STOP. Alton, I’m a fan, but stop. Don’t joke, please. We can criticize the administration and the fucking coup that is happening without making any jokes about the Holocaust,” a disciple replied.
“If you have to dig into other people’s cemeteries for references to pain to link your discomfort to an oppression you’ve never really experienced from afar, just keep your mouth shut and think more before you speak,” food writer Michael Twitty wrote in response to Brown.
While some fans have defended Brown’s right to free speech, he was also praised for admitting his words were in bad taste.
“Here’s what an honest apology looks like. It’s been a while since we’ve seen one, so I thought I would stress it. Everyone’s wrong,” a fan wrote. “Good people apologize for that. I always thought you were a good man, that opinion hasn’t changed. Honestly, apologizing only proves it.”
It has been controversial days for Brown on Twitter. On November 9, he spoke out against Donald Trump and the Republican Party in a series of tweets that have since been deleted, according to Eater.
“I’ve voted Republican most of my life. I consider myself a conservative. I want to believe that there are still ‘very good’ people on both sides of the aisle but … if the leaders of the #GOP don’t stick their noses out of this man is a– we’re going to have words, ”he wrote.
After some fans questioned why Brown voted Republican, he made it clear that he voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the presidential election. “It is time for decency and unity to prevail over tribalism, racism and misinformation,” he added.
The thread garnered a mix of comments from his fans, with some feeling disappointed with his past political choices, while others praised him for his frankness.
In response to a fan who expressed his disappointment with him, he tweeted: “Frankly you have no right to be disappointed with me. None. I used my own platform to say what I think. You may not like me, certainly but disappointment. in me should be reserved for saying … bad recipes. “
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