Kathy Griffin Apologizes For Bloodied Trump Head Photos; CNN Cuts Ties

Comedian Kathy Griffin faced sharp criticism Tuesday after footage of a photo shoot showed her holding the bloodied, severed head of President Trump. Critics said the gruesome, violent imagery was inappropriate, regardless of one's feelings or opinions about the president.

Griffin tweeted that the piece is called "There was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his...wherever," a reference to then-candidate Trump's comments about debate host Megyn Kelly. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

When faced with blowback about the stunt, she tweeted: "OBVIOUSLY, I do not condone ANY violence by my fans or others to anyone, ever! I'm merely mocking the Mocker in Chief."

She then went further, apologizing for the pictures and promising to take them down:

Despite the apology, CNN announced that it would end its tradition of inviting Kelly Griffin to host New Years Eve coverage with Anderson Cooper.

You can view the short video of the photo shoot here, though be warned that it contains graphic content some people may find disturbing or distasteful.

Wednesday morning, President Trump decried the image, appealing to the effect it could have on his children.

"Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself," he said. "My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!"

But it wasn't just conservatives who were appalled by the artistic choice.

Peter Daou, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton, tweeted his disapproval of the imagery. "I'm all for artistic and comedic expression, but I just saw the violent Trump imagery in #KathyGriffin's photo and I find it horrible," he wrote.

Chelsea Clinton made a similar statement: "This is vile and wrong. It is never funny to joke about killing a president."

"Our politics have become too base, too low, & too vulgar, but Kathy Griffin's post descends into an even more repugnant & vile territory," former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said.

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Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images