Companies distance from pro-Trump commentator after vulgar Harris tweet

An ally of President Trump sparked widespread backlash on social media after posting a tweet that used a vulgar insult to attack Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), leading to a number of companies distancing themselves from the commentator.

Harlan Hill, president of the D.C.-based Logan Circle Group, which describes itself as a boutique public relations firm, tweeted that Harris “comes off as an insufferable, lying bitch” as the Democratic senator debated Vice President Pence on Wednesday night.

Kamala Harris comes off as such an insufferable lying bitch. Sorry, it’s just true.

— HARLAN Z. HILL (@Harlan) October 7, 2020

Several companies on Thursday distanced themselves from Hill after social media users noted that his firm’s website listed their logos under the banner “Trusted by the best,” giving the impression they were clients.

Hill told CNBC that he worked with companies listed on his site “either directly or thru consulting partners.” Logos for the companies remained on the firm’s website as recently as Thursday evening.

“We won’t tolerate it. We just told Mr. Hill to stop using our name & logo. He doesn’t represent us & never will,” American Airlines tweeted in response to former longtime GOP strategist Steve Schmidt, a co-founder of the anti-Trump GOP group The Lincoln Project who was among those to take aim at Hill over his remarks.

The airline told CNBC it has no record of Hill working for the company.

.@AmericanAir Doug Parker seems like a leader who wouldn’t tolerate this.@ATT Are you comfortable with this guy representing your company? @LCGpr claim they work for you John Stankey, let’s think about this like the Gold Medal Round of Corporate Communications Olympics. 1/ https://t.co/Epm5KGDK9a

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) October 8, 2020

“We have found no record of this person working for us, and he certainly never will in the future,” a spokesperson for AT&T added in a statement to CNBC. “We have contacted him and demanded he remove our name and logo from his website.”

Fox News, where Hill has made a number of appearances in recent years, also indicated that he was no longer welcome on its airwaves. A Fox News spokesperson told The Hill that the network has “no intention of booking him as a guest on any of our platforms.”

Hill most recently appeared on Fox Business in June, though made dozens of other unpaid appearances on Fox over several years. He has appeared on other networks as well, including CNN, and appeared on Hill.TV last year.

“I appreciate my relationship with Fox News over the last 5 years. They have been very good to me and I will always appreciate the chance they gave me to build a platform,” Hill said in a statement to Mediaite on Thursday.

The consultant continues to list himself as a member of the Trump campaign’s reelection advisory board on his social media pages and website, and he has doubled down on the vulgar remarks in retweets and other Twitter posts.

Good morning! Kamala Harris still sucks and comes off as a bitch.

— HARLAN Z. HILL (@Harlan) October 8, 2020

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.