Elizabeth Lauten Resigns Amid Firestorm Over Her Thanksgiving Takedown Of Sasha And Malia Obama

In a move that most likely surprised no one, Elizabeth Lauten, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tennessee, who publicly criticized the president’s daughters Sasha and Malia Obama in a Facebook post after Thanksgiving in which she railed against their behavior and dress during the annual presidential pardon of a turkey, has resigned, reports Politico.

Her open letter to the teens, who are 13 and 16, respectively, incited accusations of bullying, sexism and racism.

A tweet from NBC News’ Alex Moe on Monday stated that Lauten told the media outlet that she was “resigning today” following her incendiary comments. Sean Spicer, the Republican National Committee's communications director, tweeted that “Children, especially the first daughters, are off limits," and wrote that what Lauten said was “inappropriate” and “insensitive," but he also reserved criticism for the "mainstream media's coverage" of the Lauten controversy, describing it as "appalling."

In the Facebook open letter, which became viral after Yesha Callahan of The Root tweeted it on Nov. 28, Lauten wrote, “Dear Sasha and Malia, I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re part of the First Family, try showing a little class.” She also chided the teens for their clothes, writing “Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar,” which prompted Refinery29's Erin Donnelly to accuse Lauten of “slutshaming” the teens. Others accused Lauten of attacking President Barack Obama through his daughters.