AceShowbiz -

Following controversy surrounding his recent tweet, Pat Sajak says he was just trying to crack a joke. The "Wheel of Fortune" host landed in hot water this week after he slammed global warming activists on Twitter.

"As most of you know, original Tweet was intended to parody the name-calling directed at climate skeptics. Hyperbole," he explained in a tweet on Wednesday, May 21. He also issued a statement to media to clear up the controversy, saying, "Of course I was joking. Just mocking the name-calling that is directed at global warming skeptics within and without the scientific community."

Sajak sent out the controversial tweet on Monday. It read, "I now believe global warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists knowingly misleading for their own ends. Good night." Some people who did not share same stance voiced their opinion on social media. "Hey @PatSajak, this aint the 'Wheel of Fortune'. If we lose this game, it isn't just one person's misfortune. All humanity pays the price," a climate scientist named Michael E. Mann wrote.

The next day, Sajak suggested that he intentionally wrote the post to see people's reaction. "Sometimes it's fun to poke a stick in a hornets' nest just to hear the buzzing," he tweeted.