Rupert Murdoch Ignites Firestorm With "Real Black President" Tweet

Rupert Murdoch, the powerful media mogul and chief executive of 21st Century Fox, set off a social media firestorm Wednesday when he appeared to tweet support for Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson as "a real black president."

Murdoch has been publicly supportive of Carson, especially on social media.

On Tuesday, Murdoch urged his followers on Twitter to catch Carson's interview on Fox News' The Kelly File, and last week said "pundits keep underestimating Ben Carson."

But it was his latest comment that prompted a wave of responses — and plenty of backlash — from those who took his tweet as questioning President Obama's credentials as a black leader.

Wednesday night, however, was not the first time Murdoch has publicly questioned Obama's racial identity.

A month earlier, drawing comparisons between Carson and Obama once again, he referenced the president's "white upbringing."

A spokesperson for 21st Century Fox declined to comment on Murdoch's tweet on Wednesday.