Trump kind of apologizes to Piers Morgan, Britain for retweeting videos from 'horrible, racist' Britain First


After President Trump retweeted four anti-Muslim videos from the deputy leader of far-right group Britain First in November, the White House shrugged when told the videos were misleading or fake. And when British Prime Minister Theresa May mildly rebuked Trump for the retweets, he told her over Twitter to mind her own business. In Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Piers Morgan asked Trump if he would be willing to apologize for the Britain First retweets, explaining that it "would go a long way" in boosting his image in Britain. Trump offered a pretty conditional apology.
"Here's what's fair," Trump told Morgan, a friend since Morgan won Celebrity Apprentice in 2008. "If you're telling me they're horrible people, horrible, racist people, I would certainly apologize if you would like me to do that. I know nothing about them." ”You would disavow yourself of people like that?” Morgan asked. "I don't want to be involved with [these] people, but you're telling me about these people because I know nothing about these people," Trump said. "Thank you, Mr. President," Morgan said. "It means a lot to people in Britain."
Earlier, Trump explained why he retweeted videos from a group of horrible, racist people he knew nothing about. "It was done because I'm a big believer in fighting radical Islamic terror," he said. "This was a depiction of radical Islamic terror." Morgan pointed out that they were "unverified videos," at least one of them debunked. "Well, they are, but I didn't do it, I didn't go out and — I did a retweet," Trump said. "It was a big story where you are but it was not a big story where I am."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment