Officials in a West Virginia small town are under fire after they made racist comments about First Lady Michelle Obama.

Pamela Ramsey Taylor, a former director of Clay County Development Corporation, posted about Michelle Obama and Melania Trump on Facebook, according to NBC affiliate WSAZ.

"It will be so refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady back in the White House. I'm tired of seeing a Ape in heels," she wrote.

The town's mayor, Beverly Whaling, also responded to the article, saying, "Just made my day, Pam."

Both comments were deleted, but not fast enough. Screengrabs have been making their rounds of the Internet, and there's now an online petition that had over 70,000 signatures as of Monday evening.

Whaling told The Washington Post that her comment "was not intended to be racist at all:

"I was referring to my day being made for change in the White House! I am truly sorry for any hard feeling this may have caused! Those who know me know that I'm not of any way racist! Again, I would like to apologize for this getting out of hand!"

She later told the news station that the public response had become a "hate crime against me," proving she has learned absolutely nothing.

(H/T The Washington Post)

From: Esquire US