Donald Trump critics and allies condemn 'cruel' and 'wrong' Twitter attack on Mika Brzezinski

Donald Trump's latest tweets have sparked outrage among media officials and politicians in Washington.

Trump launched a scathing attack on Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski saying: "I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore).

"Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"

The tweets quickly were condemned by critics and allies alike.

Senior Republican senator, Lindsey Graham said: "Mr President, your tweet was beneath the office and represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America."

Another senior member of the GOP, Lynn Jenkins, took offence to the tweet saying: "This is not okay. As a female in politics I am often criticised for my looks. We should be working to empower women."

"Never imagined a day when I would think to myself, 'it is beneath my dignity to respond to the President of the United States,'" Mark Kornblau, NBCUniversal News Group's senior vice president of communications, tweeted in response.

Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate and senior Republican senator John McCain said: "I do not think making fun of a woman's looks is acceptable. I get it every day of my life. I think that tweet is cruel - and unpresidential."

But deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the tweets saying: "I don't think that the president's ever been someone who gets attacked and doesn't push back.

"This is a president who fights fire with fire, and certainly will not be bullied. I think what's necessary is to push back against unnecessary attacks on the president."

As Melania Trump campaigns against cyber bullying, her director of communications Stephanie Grisham said: "As the First Lady has stated publicly in the past, when her husband gets attacked, he will punch back ten times harder."