Trump gives weak apology for racist tweets: ‘I apologize if you’d like me to’
In his first international TV interview with Piers Morgan, POTUS stumbles on apology for Islamophobic retweets
In his first international TV interview with Piers Morgan, POTUS stumbles on apology for Islamophobic retweets
President Donald Trump conducted his first interview on international television, and he sort of apologized for tweeting out three Islamophobic videos from the right-wing Britain First group.
Trump sat down with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain for the interview, and according to CNN, when the subject of the three videos came up, he said he “would apologize if you’d like me to do that.”
BREAKING NEWS:
President Trump has publicly apologised for retweeting far-right group Britain First.
Says he didn’t know who they were. ‘I don’t want to be involved with these people. If you’re telling me they’re horrible racist people. I certainly apologise.’ pic.twitter.com/S1apSWC7rR— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 26, 2018
The so-called apology
It wasn’t much of an apology, considering he refused to say he regretted the decision, and more or less tried to explain it away by saying he didn’t know Britain First was a racist group.
“Look, it was done because I am a big believer in fighting radical Islamic terror and this was a depiction of radical Islamic terror,” Trump said of the decision to tweet out the videos.
Trump also tried to distance himself from responsibility by pointing out that it wasn’t an original tweet: “I didn’t go out and do it; I did a retweet.”
–Trump shares anti-Muslim videos from Islamophobic right-wing leader–
“It was a big story where you are but it wasn’t a big story where I am. The real me is someone who loves Britain, loves the UK, and I love Scotland,” Trump continued. “One of the biggest problems I had in winning was that I won’t be able to get back there as often… I would be there a lot and it’s a very special place.”
Then, he offered this semi-apology: “I don’t want to cause any difficulty with your country. If you’re telling me they’re horrible racist people, I would certainly apologize if you’d like me to do that. I know nothing about them.”
‘Very good relationship’ with Theresa May
Trump also claimed that he had a “very good relationship” with British Prime Minister Theresa May. This despite the fact that May came out against Trump’s retweeted videos. She publicly called Trump out as “wrong” for the move.
But Trump seemed to think everything was all good between him and May.
“She’s been doing a very good job. We actually have a very good relationship even though a lot of people think we don’t. I support her and a lot of what she does and says. I am a tremendous supporter of the UK,” Trump said.
