CNN is not renewing Reza Aslan's show "Believer" in the wake of a vulgar tweet he directed at President Donald Trump.
"CNN has decided to not move forward with production on the acquired series 'Believer with Reza Aslan,'" the network said in a statement, according to Variety. "We wish Reza and his production team all the best."
Aslan, an Iranian-American author and religious scholar, tweeted after Trump made a renewed call for his temporary travel ban, "This piece of shit is not just an embarrassment to America and a stain on the presidency. He's an embarrassment to humankind."
Variety reports:
Aslan came under fire earlier this month after using profanity to describe President Donald Trump in the wake of remarks the president made about the terrorist attacks on London. In the tweet, Aslan called Trump "a piece of s–t" and expressed dismay at Trump's use of the tragedy to promote his desire for a so-called "travel ban" on certain kinds of people hailing from specific countries in the Middle East.
The author later apologized, saying, "I should have used better language to express my shock and frustration at the president's lack of decorum and sympathy for the victims of London. I apologize for my choice of words."
Although he deleted the remark and said it was unlike him to use crude language, the Washington Free Beacon reported he had used profanity on multiple occasions before to criticize Trump, his family, and his supporters.
https://twitter.com/rezaaslan/status/862138240433758209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Fpolitics%2Fcnns-reza-aslan-deletes-tweet-calling-trumps-son-piece-s-t%2F
https://twitter.com/rezaaslan/status/867176101927239681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Fpolitics%2Fcnns-reza-aslan-deletes-tweet-calling-trumps-son-piece-s-t%2F
The words you're looking for are bat, shit, and crazy. https://t.co/X12kN8DW9a
— Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) May 11, 2017
Aslan also deleted a tweet in which he called Donald Trump, Jr. a "piece of shit son" that was like his "piece of shit father," as well as one from 2012 wishing someone would rape Todd Akin, the GOP Senate candidate who made the infamous "legitimate rape" remark.
"Believer" would have entered its second season if it had been picked up. CNN marketed it as a "spiritual adventure series" where "renowned author and religious scholar Reza Aslan immerses himself in the world's most fascinating faith-based groups to experience life as a true believer."
It marks the second time in less than a month that CNN severed ties with an anti-Trump figure because of a public controversy. CNN dropped comic Kathy Griffin from her annual gig as co-host of its New Year's Eve special after she posed for photos with a severed, bloody head resembling Trump.