Nugent Sort Of Apologizes For Calling Obama A ‘Subhuman Mongrel’

Ted Nugent awaits the start of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday Feb. 12, 2013.
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Conservative rock musician Ted Nugent offered a semi-apology for calling President Barack Obama a “subhuman mongrel.”

Nugent, however, made sure not to point his apology directly at Obama.

“I do apologize–not necessarily to the President–but on behalf of much better men than myself,” Nugent said Friday an in interview with conservative radio host Ben Ferguson according to CNN.

Nugent’s comments follow negative fallout for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the likely Republican gubernatorial nominee, after Nugent appeared at a number of campaign events with him. Both Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said it was wrong for Nugent to call Obama a “chimpanzee” and “subhuman mongrel.”

Even Abbott himself tried to make sure there was a little distance between him and Nugent before the joint appearances. On Thursday Abbott got into a heated exchange with CNN after being pressed on Nugent’s remarks.

Abbott’s likely Democratic general election opponent, state Sen. Wendy Davis, also strongly criticized him for associating with Nugent in light of Nugent’s comments.

Nugent, in the Ferguson interview, said though that the negative press Abbott has gotten will eventually blow over.

“Believe me, I think in the final analysis, the dishonesty of the media, the dishonesty of the Wendy Davis campaign and her entire staff, that appears to be negative press right now, I believe that it is galvanizing Texans who know that Davis is the enemy of a Texas lifestyle and that Greg Abbott will serve we the people of Texas perfectly,” Nugent said.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: