Nick Sandmann on confrontation with Native American elder: ‘I had every right to do so.’
The teen who is in the middle of a controversy about a standoff between a Native American elder and a group of high schoolers defended his actions in a televised interview
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Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School teen who became insta-famous for confronting a Native tribal elder face-to-face while smirking at him, sat down with NBC’s “The Today Show.” But he was not apologetic and appeared defiant of his critics saying, “I had every right to do so.”
WATCH: Racist video appears to show Covington Catholic students in Blackface
Host Savannah Guthrie talked with Sandmann to get his side of the fury that erupted after the MAGA-hat wearing teen and his classmates were seen on video apparently a Native American man, Nathan Phillips as he beat his ceremonial drum footsteps from the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. during a traditional ceremony.
Sandmann, a junior at the school in Park Hills, Kentucky, which has come under fire a second time after an old video surfaced showing students in blackface mocking and taunting African American basketball players, told Guthrie that he instead felt disrespected and attacked. In the full video, several members of the Black Israelites sect were seen nearby arguing with the students as they quoted Bible verses.
“Do you feel from this experience that you owe anybody an apology?” Guthrie asks Sandmann. “Do you see your own fault in any way?”
"Do you feel from this experience that you owe anybody an apology? Do you see your own fault in any way?”
Tune in to @NBCNightlyNews for a preview of @SavannahGuthrie's interview with Nick Sandmann. Full interview tomorrow on TODAY. pic.twitter.com/7Croh0Toyj
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 22, 2019
“As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. I don’t – I – my position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips. I respect him. I’d like to talk to him. I mean – in hindsight I wish we could have walked away and avoided the whole thing.”
READ MORE: Donald Trump defends racist Catholic students who taunted Native American elder in viral video
On Sunday, Sandmann released this statement.
“I never interacted with this protester. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me,” Sandmann said.
Meanwhile, President Trump praised the students of Covington Catholic on Twitter, saying they were treated unfairly and reportedly invited them to the White House.
Nick Sandmann and the students of Covington have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be. They have captivated the attention of the world, and I know they will use it for the good – maybe even to bring people together. It started off unpleasant, but can end in a dream!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2019
Trump’s tweet follows a narrative embraced by conservative media that the students were not at fault and that the incident was not incited by them. Others, including U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, who represents the area of Kentucky where the school is located, and Sen. Rand Paul have also openly defended the students, according to USA Today.
READ MORE: Mother blames ‘Black Muslims’ for MAGA hat boy’s taunting of Native American veteran
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