Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany a "Karen" on Thursday afternoon, invoking a controversial term some view as a racial slur against white women.
Lightfoot was retaliating to McEnany's comments during a briefing at the White House earlier in the day, in which she bashed the Democratic mayor as a "derelict" for not doing enough to protect residents from violence.
"I've listed for you the names of these kids who have died across this country," McEnany said. "It is unacceptable, and under this President, he'll take action. And the derelict mayor of Chicago should step up and ask for federal help because she's doing a very poor job at securing her streets."
In response to her remarks, Lightfoot tweeted, "Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth."
Urban Dictionary defines "Karen" as "the stereotypical name associated with rude, obnoxious and insufferable middle aged white women." This term has come under scrutiny recently as a racist term.