'Boobs on the ground': Fox News presenter Eric Bolling responds to UAE's first female pilot in Isis air strikes
Greg Gutfeld also joked about Mariam Al Mansouri not being able to park jet
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Your support makes all the difference.Fox News has come under fire yet again after one of its presenter asked if the UAE’s first female fighter pilot’s role during Isis air strikes could be considered “boobs on the ground” in Syria.
In a segment for Fox News talk show The Five, presenter Kimberly Guilfoyle praised Major Mariam Al Mansouri’s “remarkable” achievements after she led the squadron of UAE fighter jets on Tuesday in the US and Arab attacks on Isis targets.
“I wish it was an American pilot – I’ll take a woman doing this any day to them," said Guilfoyle. "I hope that hurt (Isis) extra bad."
The tone of her piece took a sudden turn when co-host Greg Gutfeld interjected with: “Problem is, after she bombed it, she couldn’t park it”.
Eric Bolling then dragged out the uncomfortable exchange by asking: "Would that be considered boobs on the ground or no?”, a question that caused Guilfoyle to put her head in her hands and mutter “oh my God.”
His "sexist" response sparked a backlash on Twitter and even saw calls for Bolling to be sacked.
Bolling later apologised for his remarks, telling viewers that he “got the look” from his wife after his comments were aired. Speaking on the show the next day, he said: “I said sorry to my wife and I apologize to all of you as well and I just want to make that very clear.”
Born in Abu Dhabi, Ms Mansouri graduated from the Khalifa bin Zayed Air College in 2008 and is now a veteran operations pilot, working with F-16 Block 60 aircraft.
She worked for the General Command for several years before becoming one of the first women to join the air force when it allowed female members.