Hank Williams Jr. Issues Statement Clarifying Controversial Hitler Comment
It may not do anything to save his long-running gig as the musical kickoff for ‘Monday Night Football,’ but Hank Williams, Jr. has issued a personal statement in response to the brouhaha that erupted after his recent appearance on ‘Fox and Friends.’
Williams, who compared a golf match between President Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner to “Hitler playing golf with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” attempted to clarify his remarks through a post on his website.
Anyone looking for backtracking or an apology won’t find them in the statement, but Williams did try to add some additional context to his remarks. The post reads:
Some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood. My analogy was extreme – but it was to make a point. I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me – how ludicrous that pairing was. They’re polar opposites and it made no sense. They don’t see eye-to-eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the President.
“Every time the media brings up the tea party it’s painted as racist and extremists – but there’s never a backlash – no outrage to those comparisons… Working class people are hurting – and it doesn’t seem like anybody cares. When both sides are high-fiving it on the ninth hole when everybody else is without a job – it makes a whole lot of us angry. Something has to change. The policies have to change.” – Hank Williams, Jr.
Williams’ two-paragraph statement was published after a more grammatically haphazard post, which read, “I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports and this time it got the Best or Worst of me. The thought of the Leaders of both Parties Jukin and High Fiven on a Golf course, while so many Families are Struggling to get by simply made me Boil over and make a Dumb statement and I am very Sorry if it Offended anyone. I would like to Thank all my supporters. This was Not written by some Publicist.”
ESPN, which pulled Williams from the opening of Monday night’s game and issued a sternly worded statement disavowing his comments, says no decision has been made regarding his future with ‘Monday Night Football.’