Hank Williams Jr. has been under a microscope the past 24 hours for a comment he made that compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. It prompted ESPN to pull Williams' signature open to Monday Night Football.
Now, Williams is apologizing.
Williams had this to say on his website on Tuesday:
"'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.' — Hank Williams Jr"
This comes after Williams reportedly issued a statement earlier in the day, apologizing for the comments. His earlier statement, according to whosay.com, read:
"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."
During a Fox News interview on Monday, Williams compared President Barack Obama playing golf with House Speaker Jim Boehner in June to Hitler playing golf with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"They're the enemy," Williams added, later clarifying that "they" referred to Obama and Joe Biden.
Anchor Gretchen Carlson said, "You used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe, I think, the president."
"Well, that is true," Williams responded. "But I'm telling you like it is."
ESPN pulled its trademark intro featuring Williams prior to Monday's Colts-Buccaneers game. The Sports Business Journal reports that the decision was only for one game, though, and the company is "still evaluating" Williams' status for future games.
