The American dance competition series “Dancing with the Stars” is facing mounting backlash from the left for its decision to cast former White House press secretary Sean Spicer in its next season. As a result of this backlash, the show’s longtime host, Tom Bergeron, has even issued an apology of sorts.

The backlash — most of it from members of Hollywood and the mainstream media, who in the past have been accused of being hypocritical, out-of-touch “elitists” — began brewing immediately after ABC’s “Good Morning America” announced Wednesday morning that the former press secretary would be appearing on the next season of the 14-year-old dance competition:

Sean Spicer lied repeatedly to the American people and literally defended Hitler. @ABCNetwork: “Yes, but can he fox trot? Tune in to see!” — Bill Prady (@billprady) August 21, 2019

The cynicism and carelessness it took to hire Sean Spicer… god it’s all just so depressing honestly. — billy eichner (@billyeichner) August 21, 2019

This is appalling. How about we don’t reward the man who served as a mouthpiece of the worst modern administration by putting him on some dance show so he can twirl his dishonest ass on TV for pay? — Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) August 21, 2019

For 6 months, Sean Spicer served as White House Press Secretary to the most vile “president” in modern history. In that time, he repeatedly lied, obfuscated, and endorsed the badgering of a free press. He enabled hatred. He belongs on a public blacklist, not in a waltz.#DWTS — Charlotte Clymer?️‍? (@cmclymer) August 21, 2019

I will never think it’s an amusing diversion for Sean Spicer to be on Dancing with the Stars. He defended and lied about amoral, monstrous if not criminal policies and actions. Way to launder amorality, ABC. Gross. — Mo Ryan (@moryan) August 21, 2019

You will face a boycott. A big one. Of the show and of your entire network. And it will be well deserved. Folks will contact every advertiser you have and demand they stop running ads. So, good luck with all of that. The only smart move here is to replace him immediately. — Scott Dworkin (@funder) August 21, 2019

This is appalling. How about we don’t reward the man who served as a mouthpiece of the worst modern administration by putting him on some dance show so he can twirl his dishonest ass on TV for pay? — Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) August 21, 2019

Normalizing a professional liar. Who supported and lied for a bigot and a racist. Why anyone would support a project that stars Sean Spicer is beyond me. https://t.co/vmGMR286pI — Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) August 21, 2019

Even some “employees” at ABC complained, according to CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter.

“A couple said they didn’t care about the Spicer pick,” he revealed in his daily weeknight newsletter Wednesday. “One remarked, ‘How long do you really think he’s going to last?’ But others said they were pissed. ‘It’s a slap in the face to those of us who had to deal with his baloney and the consequences of the ongoing lies and disinformation campaign at the White House,’ one said to me.”

“Spicer was ‘horrible’ to ‘so many of us,’ another said to [CNN senior media reporter Oliver] Darcy. ‘It’s disgusting to think he is getting on the show AND getting paid by OUR company.'”

While ABC hadn’t yet formally responded to the backlash as of Thursday morning, the dance show’s host had issued a tweet essentially apologizing for Spicer’s casting and claiming that months earlier he’d asked the show’s executive producer to take “a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate” by avoiding “divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations”:

Some thoughts about today pic.twitter.com/aCQ4SHrGCI — Tom Bergeron (@Tom_Bergeron) August 21, 2019

It’s unclear why he never made such a request in the past, given as the show has repeatedly featured political figures, including former Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry. What also remains unexplained is why Bergeron seemed to initially be giddy about Spicer’s appearance.

“Show host Tom Bergeron joked on GMA that Spicer would be in charge of assessing audience size on the show, a reference to Spicer’s claim while press secretary that President Trump had ‘the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe,'” The Hill reported shortly after Spicer’s appearance was announced by “Good Morning America.”

Yet several hours later, he went on to post the tweet seen above … not that Spicer minded.

“I think Tom has been a great host,” he said graciously in a statement to CNN’s Darcy. “And I firmly believe when the season is over he’s probably going to realize bringing a diverse group of people together, who can interact in a fun, civil and respectful way, is actually a way we can move the country forward in a positive way. And it will make this show an example of how Americans can disagree about politics and tune into good entertainment shows and keep their politics at bay.”

Responding specifically to the backlash from left-wing celebrity figures on Twitter, Spicer added, “I didn’t look at Twitter. I had my eyes wide open going into this thing. I was like — not going to social media.”

He also addressed the complaints by ABC employees, saying, “I think this is an entertainment show. I look forward to having some fun. And if people are looking for news, I suggest they tune into a news program.”

As of Thursday morning, the backlash had not yet abated (*Language warning):

Go fuck yourself. I would rather watch the wall than your lying ass dancing. — Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) August 21, 2019

‘Was Goebbels Unavailable?’: ABC Blasted for ‘Normalizing Fascism’ by Putting Sean Spicer on Dancing With the Stars https://t.co/VDVmpEJYGQ — Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) August 21, 2019

tee hee, get it, cause he turned a taxpayer-funded position into a propaganda arm, lying to our faces every single day in order to aid a white supremacist administration, hilarious! — Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) August 21, 2019

You enabled a racist, sexual assaulting White Nationalist, @seanspicer. Dancing while children sit in cages, torn from their families because of policies you championed is vile. Why are you doing this @DancingABC? @RobertIger? You cool with banning Muslims? Are Mexicans rapists? https://t.co/GlDNUEUVl9 — Bradley Whitford (@WhitfordBradley) August 22, 2019

The backlash seems to speak to a flourishing left-wing culture of brazen bigotry and intolerance which says that anyone not part of “my tribe” deserves to be ostracized and smeared as a white supremacist and Nazi — especially if he or she is linked to President Donald Trump.

And the fact that Spicer’s a human being just like them — one who has a wife and two children — it appears that doesn’t even matter to those who subscribe to this culture.