During an interview of the Fox News morning show "Fox & Friends," country singer Hank Williams Jr. talked himself right out of his job by equating President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. ESPN announced late Monday (Oct. 3) that it will no longer use Williams to say his "Monday Night Football" catchphrase "Are you ready for some football?"
The trouble began earlier on Monday when Williams was talking with host Gretchen Carlson about the current political landscape. This quickly resulted in a discussion of the June 18 "Golf Summit," when President Obama and Speaker John Boehner discussed the debt crisis over a game of golf. That's when Williams lost it.
"That was one of the biggest political mistakes ever...That'd be like Hitler playing golf with [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu," Williams says.
When Carlson gave Williams an opportunity to amend his statement, the country music artist didn't back down at all.
"You used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe, I think, the President," Carlson says.
"That is true. But I'm telling you like it is," Williams responds.
ESPN did not wait to dump Williams. In a statement, the network says, "While Hank Williams Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize he is closely linked to our company through the opening to 'Monday Night Football.' We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast."
