Donald Trump has doubled down on his attack on Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski, calling the television journalist “dumb as a rock”, and her show “low rated”.

“Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad!” the President tweeted.

The tweet comes just one day after Mr Trump drew widespread criticism for attacking Ms Brzezinski’s appearance. In a Thursday morning Twitter storm, the President alleged she and co-host Joe Scarborough had “insisted” on visiting his south Florida estate. He also claimed Ms Brzezinski was “bleeding badly from a face-lift” at the time.

Democrats and Republicans alike decried the tweet as sexist and inappropriate.

“This is not ok”, tweeted Republican Senator Lynn Jenkins. “As a female in politics I am often criticised for my looks. We should be working to empower women.”

The hosts themselves responded with an op-ed in The Washington Post, accusing Mr Trump of being “unwell”. They also claimed the President was the instigator of the Mar-a-Lago visit, and that the White House had attempted to blackmail them with a negative National Enquirer story.

Mr Trump says the hosts called him in an attempt to stop the story.

In an appearance on Morning Joe the next day, Ms Brzezinski said she was “fine”, and that “my family brought me up really tough”.

“This is absolutely nothing for me personally,” she added. “But I’m very concerned about what this once again reveals about the President of the United States.”

The TV host expanded on her comments in an interview with InStyle, insinuating that First Lady Melania Trump – who is said to be working on an anti-cyberbullying campaign – wanted out of her marriage.

“I know Melania. I haven’t talked to her in months, but if my gut is right, I don’t think she’s going to put up with it much longer,” Ms Brzezinski said. “I know nothing. That’s just my instinct and I go with my gut and my gut’s always right.”

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

Ms Trump responded with a short statement, saying simply: “It is sad when people try to further their own agenda by commenting on me and my family, especially when they don’t know me.”

The comments are part of a long and tumultuous relationship between Mr Trump and the hosts, who frequently welcomed the businessman as a guest on their programme during his presidential bid.

When the Morning Joe commentary turned negative toward Mr Trump, however, he lashed out, calling Ms Brzezinski “crazy” and “very dumb” and accusing her of having a “mental breakdown”.