© 2026 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Male Commentators Tell A Winning Clinton To 'Smile'

Hillary Clinton pauses while speaking during her primary-night rally in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday.
Daniel Acker
/
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Hillary Clinton pauses while speaking during her primary-night rally in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday.

Hillary Clinton had a big night Tuesday, cheered by an exultant crowd in Palm Beach, Fla., as she won four states and led in a fifth. But some people on social media criticized Clinton's tone during her speech.

It started with several tweets from male television personalities.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough told her: "Smile. You just had a big night."

Just before that, he had tweeted: "What a massive night for @HillaryClinton."

FOX News Channel senior political analyst Brit Hume also tweeted that Clinton was "having a big night" and that "she's shouting angrily."

FNC's Howard Kurtz also said Clinton was "shouting" and suggested a more "conversational tone."

After getting blowback for the comment, including criticism that similar remarks would not have been made about men, Kurtz said he has also called out Bernie Sanders for shouting.

The responses to Scarborough, Hume and Kurtz's tweets were swift. Some defenses were serious.

And several were funny, taking the form of video clips and memes.

And as proof that Hamilton the musical touches everything, there was also this.

Not heeding the critics, Hume later tweeted this.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Amita Kelly is a Washington editor, where she works across beats and platforms to edit election, politics and policy news and features stories.
Recent cuts to federal funding are challenging our mission to serve central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. This is the moment to join our community of supporters and help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today—not just for yourself, but for all who depend on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.