This article originally appeared in the Washington Examiner.

There is special vitriol reserved for conservative women.

At the White House Correspondents’ dinner, comedian Michelle Wolf cracked jokes about President Trump, as expected. But the liberal comedian took particular aim at White House press secretary Sarah Sanders:

I have to say I’m a little star-struck. I love you as Aunt Lydia in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ Mike Pence, if you haven’t seen it, you would love it.

Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited, because I’m not really sure what we’re going to get. You know, a press briefing, a bunch of lies or divided into softball teams. ‘It’s shirts and skins, and this time don’t be such a little b—-, Jim Acosta!’

I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful. She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies.

And I’m never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders, you know? Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? What’s Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know. Aunt Coulter.

This is on top of Wolf saying she was “excited Sarah finally gets to go to prom” after Wolf learned Sanders would attend the Dinner.

The Left has been hard on Sanders. But they seem to focus their criticism on everything besides how she does her job. Attacking her looks is an especially popular tactic, and it’s especially loathsome.

Many attendees of the White House Correspondents’ dinner tweeted disagreement with Wolf’s attacks after the black tie event. But the condemnation wasn’t universal. In fact, some were jealous of Wolf. Marisa Kabas, editorial director of HOPE, a mobile platform connecting media and activism, tweeted, “calling sarah huckabee sanders an asshole to her face is a personal dream and i’m just jealous @michelleisawolf got to do it first.” Her tweet has more than 15,000 likes.

Wolf’s attack on the press secretary’s appearance isn’t the first by a prominent comedian. Chelsea Handler, who championed the Women’s March, tweeted out a video mocking Sanders’ looks, including a makeup tutorial and a joke insinuating that Sanders isn’t a woman.

Sanders took the attack sitting at the head table on stage. She gets it, as she once said in a TV interview: “The only war on women that I see is the one that’s being waged against every woman and every female that is close to this president.”

Clearly, Sanders is tough and self-confident, so she is able to weather these insults. But she shouldn’t have to. Media figures and political leaders from both parties who have talked about the importance of getting more women involved in public life should ask why the objectification of women is part of politics today.

Maybe something good will come out of all of this. Maybe some people watching will pause to consider how they would feel about these attacks if it was done on someone they love. Maybe some will wonder how our political discourse became so vicious and when it became acceptable to hurl crass insults at someone over dinner.

Of course women, like men, in public life need to be prepared to be challenged. Criticism on performance or on their records should be expected and welcomed. But women shouldn’t be discouraged from taking the public stage because of the fear of facing juvenile personal attacks.

During the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton put out an ad showing clips of then-candidate Donald Trump personally attacking people, including Megyn Kelly and a disabled reporter. It asked a powerful question: What example are we setting for our children?

People should be asking that now, and commit to demanding better.