- Elizabeth Lauten, a Republican communications director, lashed out at Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13, for 'classless' clothes and sullen attitude
- Her Facebook post on Thanksgiving sparked outrage on social media
- Lauten 'prayed for hours' then issued an apology
- Hundreds called for her to lose job under #FireElizabethLauten hashtag
A GOP staffer who accused First Daughters Malia and Sasha Obama of being classless teenagers with no good role models is facing an online backlash - and demands that she lose her job.
Elizabeth Lauten, a once-prominent media director for the Republican National Committee, wrote a scathing Facebook post attacking the outfits the girls - 16 and 13 - appeared in for the President's annual Thanksgiving address.
The ill-tempered post, which criticized the girls for 'making faces' on national television and looking like they were after 'a spot at a bar', prompted a tide of online anger.
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Twitter abuse: Sasha, 13, (left) and Malia, 16, (right) were branded 'classless' by a GOP staffer for their attire
Open letter: Elizabeth Lauten, communications director for Rep Stephen Fincher, wrote this to the girls
By Saturday evening hundreds of people had demanded that Lauten lose her job as communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.) under the #FireElizabethLauten Twitter hashtag.
Lauten had apologized for her post, writing that 'judgmental feelings truly have no place in my heart', saying that 'hours of prayer' had shown the error of her ways.
'Dear Sasha and Malia,' she wrote in the post, recorded by The Root reporter Yesha Callahan, 'I get you're both in those awful teen years, but you're a part of the First Family, try showing a little class.'
Lauten, communications director for Rep Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, added: 'Act like being in the White House matters to you.
'Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar.
'And certainly don't make faces during televised public events.'
Reaction: They prompted soft criticism for sullenly scowling at their father, the President, on Thanksgiving
Twitter users rushed to defend the girls who Lauten said 'deserve a spot at a bar' rather than the White House
Sasha, 13, was dressed in a short maroon dress with a long cream cardigan that matched her thick cream socks, worn over bare legs.
Her sister Malia, 16, wore black tights under a mini kilt with a grey and cream jumper.
After the President had pardoned the designated bird, a four-month-old 49-pounder called Cheese, he asked Malia if she wanted to pet the turkey.
'Nah', she replied, in a rare departure from her usual, gracious disposition, which prompted a flurry of remarks from viewers.
Unimpressed: The First Daughters looked bored and unimpressed by their father's jokes about turkey
Clothing: Sasha wore a maroon dress and cardigan while Malia wore a mini kilt with black tights and boots
'Awful teenage years': The cyber-bullying post addressed to the young girls said they are at an 'awful' stage
Star Jones, a lawyer and television personality, was among those unimpressed. 'Ive seen tacky peoplebut rarely seen someone as tacky as #ElizabethLauten for slamming the children of the #POTUS' she tweeted.
One commenter, whose username is Eclectic John, wrote: '@RepFincherTN08 There is nothing that excuses what #ElizabethLauten posted re the children of our President. That's off limits. Fire her now.'
The incident was not Lauten's first social media slip-up.
In August, she posted a tweet from her boss's verified Twitter account about 's******g'.
Apology: Hours later she removed the original outburst, issued an apology and set her page to private
Firing: Many Twitter users directed messages to Lauten's boss, Stephen Fincher
Stephen Fincher's followers were baffled when he tweeted: 'G*d I love this song. And beach music. AND s******g #pandora,' in reference to an Embers playlist on Pandora radio.
Lauten later deleted the post and apologized for the 'accident' - but insisted 's******g' is a dance term rather than a sexual reference.
'It had nothing to do with Stephen Fincher. I dont think he knows what Pandora is; he certainly doesnt have it,' she said, according to Politico.
Following mass outrage to her post on Thursday, Lauten deleted it, set her profile to private, and issued an apology: 'I reacted to an article and quickly judged the two young ladies in a way that I would never have wanted to be judged myself as a teenager.
Other accusations: Lauten also took aim at Barack and Michelle Obama, saying they 'don't respect their roles'
Her critique was in response to a national broadcast of the annual White House turkey pardon
The national Thanksgiving turkey Cheese is seen in front of Barack Obama and his two daughters
'After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents and re-reading my words online, I can see more clearly how hurtful my words were.
'Please know that these judgmental feelings truly have no pace in my heart.
'Furthermore, I'd like to apologize to all of those who I have hurt and offended with my words, and pledge to learn and grow (and I assure you I have) from this experience.'
This year, Malia and Sasha were declared by TIME as two of its 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014.
In an interview earlier this year with Today, Michelle Obama told Jenna Bush Hager their family emphasizes health over appearance: 'We dont talk about weight. We don't talk about physical appearance.
'We talk about health. We talk about what's on the inside. We spend so much more time talking to our girls about being kind and treating others well, and being passionate and respectful.'
Reaction: Twitter users were outraged by Lauten's attack on the young girls on the national holiday
Book shopping: Unscathed by the controversy, Obama, Sasha and Malia visited a Washington, D.C., book store Saturday
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