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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand calls Trump tweet 'a sexist smear'

Update 3:45 p.m. ET Dec. 12: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied that a tweet sent Tuesday morning by President Donald Trump was sexist and claimed it was instead about reforming campaign finance laws.

“Only if your mind was in the gutter would you have read it that way,” Huckabee Sanders said. “He’s obviously talking about political partisan games. ... This isn’t new.”

Trump was roundly criticized Tuesday after he called Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a “lightweight” and a “total flunky” who would “do anything” for campaign contributions. His tweet came after Gillibrand called for the president’s resignation amid allegations of sexual misconduct levied against him by more than a dozen women.

Original report: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) called a Tuesday morning tweet directed at her by President Donald Trump "a sexist smear" and vowed that it "would not silence me," CNN reported.

In a tweet posted just after 8 a.m. ET, Trump characterized the Democrat as a “lightweight” and a “total flunky” who would “do anything” for campaign contributions.

The president did not elaborate when reporters shouted questions to him during a midday signing ceremony for a defense spending bill, CNN reported.

The tweet came a day after Gillibrand called for Trump to resign over allegations of sexual assault, CNN reported Monday.

At a news conference Tuesday, Gillibrand called the tweet derogatory and an example of the president’s “name calling,” CNN reported.

“I see it as a sexist smear. I mean that's what it is," Gillibrand said. “It's part of the president's efforts of name calling and it's not going to silence me, it's not going to silence me. It's intended to silence me. It's not going to silence the women who have stood up against him directly, and it's not going to silence the millions of women who been speaking out every day since his inauguration about things they disagree with.”

According to Federal Election Commission documents, Trump donated $4,800 to Gillibrand for Senate in 2010 and $2,100 to Gillibrand Victory Fund in 2007, CNN reported.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren defended Gillibrand on Twitter, calling out the president.

“Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame @SenGillibrand?” she wrote. “Do you know who you're picking a fight with? Good luck with that, @realDonaldTrump. Nevertheless, #shepersisted.”

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