Comments targeting young female supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, made by two prominent women backing his main opponent Hillary Clinton, face the ire of an entire generation, based on social media reactions.
Just days before voting in the first primary begins in New Hampshire, Madeleine Albright, who served as Secretary of State in President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, stumped for his wife Hillary.
"There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other," former US Secretary of State Albright said when introducing the democratic presidential hopeful at a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Saturday.
Although Clinton herself can be seen laughing at the comment, social media users did not find it funny, some describing the remarks as "condescending", "vile", and "not appropriate".
In a Friday interview on the US TV show "Real Time with Bill Maher", Ms Magazine founder Gloria Steinem, who in 1996 described Sanders as an "honorary woman", said she believed young women only supported Clinton’s rival because "the boys are with Bernie".
That prompted the Daily Kos blogger foolme1ns to write in a Sunday post titled Baby Boomer feminists slut shaming millennials.
"Your dismissal of these young women as just being horny and supporting Bernie simply to find boys, is sooo disappointing on so many levels. Shame on you, Gloria, and all baby boomer feminists for slut shaming the younger women for following their own judgement," wrote foolme1ns.
Steinem released a short statement on her Facebook page Sunday saying she "misspoke" and apologizes for "what's been misinterpreted".
Comments underneath the post, however, have described it as a "non-apology" with one user noting it was "a great example of establishment feminism for the wealthy and privileged".
Many of those who shared their thoughts on social media said they felt the statements made by both Albright and Steinem have done no favors for Clinton’s campaign and have in fact bolstered support for Sanders.
Journalist Nathan Wellman wrote on US Uncut, "There’s a ‘Special Place in Hell’ for Madeleine Albright", citing her prominent role in NATO’s 1999 bombing of Serbia which led to the deaths of 2,000 civilians, including 88 children.