Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver said he was “a little heartbroken” by President Obama’s joke about the games on Thursday’s “Tonight Show” appearance.
“I have to say I was a little heartbroken,” Shriver said during a Friday night appearance on “Larry King Live.”
“The president, I think notwithstanding this situation, has opened the door for a teachable moment here,” he explained, adding that the president understands the nature of his remarks.
Obama likened his low bowling score to something a Special Olympics athlete could accomplish.
Shriver encouraged the White House to hire an individual with a physical or intellectual disability as a signal for of their commitment to helping that community.
“Couldn’t the president create a path-breaking statement by saying these are valuable people, they can contribute in the workplace and we’ve found someone who can do a great job here in the White House and serve the country and serve his administration?” Shriver asked. “That would be a great way to signal, I think, a change of heart and really lead a discussion.”
Watch a video of the interview below: