Rob Lowe Deletes, Apologizes for Elizabeth Warren 'Chief' Joke -- Trump's 'Trail' Reference Still Online

Rob Lowe posted and deleted a bad joke referring to Elizabeth Warren's shaky connection to Native American culture after receiving a ton of backlash from Hollywood and beyond, while a far worse joke by Trump remains online.

Saturday, Lowe tweeted "Elizabeth Warren would bring a whole new meaning to Commander in 'Chief,'" as captured by TheWrap. Yes, he put quotes around "Chief" to emphasize his joke.

Eight hours later, the actor had removed that tweet and written an apology with another joke in it, but this time about the Oxford comma (it wasn't great, either, nor entirely accurate).

Now he just has bad grammar, a bad joke, and a bad apology, according to many. Would anyone make a Commander in "Chief" joke about someone who was indisputably Native American? Probably not. Well, one person might.

Also on Saturday, Donald Trump blasted Elizabeth Warren with an even worse reference, recalling one of the worst tragedies subjected upon Native Americans by white settlers in America and the genocide of thousands of people.

He's been doing the Pocahontas jokes for years now, but it was his all-caps mention of the word "Trail" that many on social media believe recalls the horrific Trail of Tears, which was the forced relocation of over 16,000 Natives from their traditional homelands in the southeast to designated reservations west of the Mississippi.

While exact figures are unknown, it is estimated between 2,000 and 8,000 Native Americans perished during the arduous trek under United States government supervision. It is a horrible and shameful chapter in American history and certainly not something that should be joked about for political gain ... or any reason, for that matter.

These are just the latest mishaps in a year that has shown how ingrained systemic racism and homophobia is within the United States and how much more there is to learn about what is and isn't appropriate to joke about or dress up as.

As a nation, for better or worse we look to our political leaders and entertainers to show us a better way to behave, own up to our mistakes, apologize and move forward. And if we don't, the internet will certainly let us know our failings.

Below are some of the most heated reactions to Lowe's and Trump's tweets:

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