Kim Campbell apologizes for tweet 'rooting' for hurricane to hit Trump resort

Former prime minister Kim Campbell has apologized for a tweet which said she was "rooting" for Hurricane Dorian to hit a resort owned by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Campbell took to Twitter on Wednesday and tweeted “I’m rooting for a direct hit on Mar-a-Lago!”

The now Category 3 hurricane is expected to hit Florida and other parts of the U.S early next week. President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is in Palm Beach, Fla.

Following the tweet, Campbell received widespread criticism online.

But she continued with another tweet on Thursday, writing “We will see if Mrs. Post’s design can stand up to the assault!” referring to Marjorie Merriweather Post, who built Mar-a-Lago.

“I know Palm Beach well and am sorry if it gets a big hit,” she added.

That same day she called on Trump to do more about climate change, which she claims is making hurricanes worse.

“Trump’s indifference to suffering is intolerable,” she wrote.

“Would also help if he tackled climate change which is making hurricanes more destructive! Instead, he will remove limits on methane! Get a grip!”

By Friday Campbell had deleted her original tweet and apologized.

“I have deleted my tweet about the hurricane and Mar-a-Lago and sincerely apologize to all it offended,” she wrote.

“It was intended as sarcasm - not a serious wish of harm. Throwaway lines get a life of their own on Twitter. I should know better. Mea culpa.”

Campbell served as prime minister for less than five months following the resignation of Brian Mulroney in 1993.

President Trump’s son Eric Trump also chimed in on the former prime minister’s tweet, labelling her comments “classless.”

“Our family is rooting for the safety of millions of homes, businesses, families and wonderful people in the great State of Florida,” he wrote.

This isn’t the first time Campbell has hit out at Trump, calling him a “mother------ “ in January.

Dorian could be the most powerful storm to hit the state's east coast in nearly 30 years.

The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to strengthen into a potentially catastrophic Category 4, with winds of almost 225 km/h due.

The hurricane’s projected track showed the storm hitting near Mar-a-Lago. But predicting its course this far out is difficult and forecasters cautioned that all of Florida could be in harm's way.

Trump has declared a state of emergency in Florida and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to co-ordinate disaster-relief efforts.

--- With files from The Associated Press