Covington High School student Nick Sandmann, the teen at the center of the viral firestorm after a video surfaced of a MAGA hat-clad Sandmann standing close to and smirking at Native American elder Nathan Phillips, appeared on the Today Show Wednesday to explain why he’s not sorry for the perceived disrespect.
“As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips. I respect him. I’d like to talk to him,” Sandmann told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. “But I can’t say that I’m sorry for listening to him and standing there.”
“As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips. I respect him. I’d like to talk to him…But I can’t say that I’m sorry for listening to him and standing there.” Nick Sandmann on if he owes anyone an apology pic.twitter.com/iiVqPtltjf
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 23, 2019
Sandmann also said that he had been receiving death threats since the video went viral.
Sandmann’s family has retained the surfaces of RunSwitch, a PR firm co-run by advisor to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Scott Jennings. After the firm was hired, Sandmann put out a lengthy statement on his side of the interaction and videos surfaced giving a fuller image of what happened.
Right wing media darling for being a snotty, sneering prick, showing off for his klavern. Next stop, the Kentucky governor’s mansion.
From what I’ve seen in the videos, the main disrespect was shown by the Hebrew Israelites (not affiliated with actual Hebrews or Israelites). And why Phillips, the Native American, thought it would be a good idea to march up to the KY students and bang a drum in their faces is a mystery to me; it certainly wasn’t going to calm things down.
And the two who appeared on Fox today said that blackface was only showing school spirit. Their whole culture reeks.
Surfaces? Never trust auto-correct TPM.
Mr. Sandmann may be a little snot, but he’s definitely being taught by the adults around him to ‘stand his ground.’ He said, 'My position is . . ." Someone told him to use that language. It’s heartbreaking that kids like him aren’t being taught the empathy, understanding, and responsibility we so desperately need in this world.