Trump: I’d be willing to apologize for sharing far-right Britain First tweets
President Trump on Friday said he is willing to apologize for retweeting videos from the leader of the U.K.’s far-right political group Britain First in November, but stopped short of actually apologizing.
“Here’s what’s fair. If you’re telling me these are horrible people, horrible racist people, I would certainly apologize, if you’d like me to do that. I know nothing about them,” Trump told ITV’s Piers Morgan on “Good Morning Britain.”
Trump appeared to defend sharing the video, saying he knows nothing about the group.
“I know nothing about these people,” Trump said, referring to the right-wing group. “I am often the least racist person that anybody is going to meet.”
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: In his first international interview since becoming US president, @realDonaldTrump says sorry for retweeting anti-Muslim videos. @piersmorgan https://t.co/kFCEKnYxyI
The full interview will air on Sunday 28 January at 10pm on @ITV and available on the @itvhub. pic.twitter.com/Am5nH1jvPw
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) January 26, 2018
Members of the U.K. government expressed outrage in November after Trump retweeted the videos, which claimed to show Muslims engaging in violent acts but have not been independently authenticated.
Prime Minister Theresa May slammed Trump for the posts, saying he was wrong to retweet the videos.
“This causes anxiety to law abiding people. British people overwhelming reject the prejudice rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents; decency, tolerance and respect. It is wrong for the president to have done this,” May said.
Trump hit back in a tweet, saying she should focus on Islamic terrorism in her own country.
.@Theresa_May, don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017
The leaders met at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, where Trump said rumors of the pair not getting along are false.
“We’re on the same wavelength, I think, in every respect,” Trump said. “Some people don’t necessarily believe that.”
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