DON LEMON (HOST): Do you care to explain your comments, congressman?



ROBERT PITTENGER: Well, thank you for this opportunity. You know, I grieve for my city and I love Charlotte. Wonderful people. I know many pastors in the African-American community, and I trust and support them so much and I am hurt by what's taking place. And frankly, I apologize for the comments. They certainly weren't meant in the context of how many have viewed them.



My concern, frankly, is for the disenfranchised individuals and I think that those -- frankly, I was quoting is what they were saying last night that I observed on your network, and they are -- their hatred for white people and that saddens me greatly. I felt like --



LEMON: You believe the protesters hate white people?



PITTENGER: No no sir, It's what they -- the comments that they made. If you go back and look at the tapes, the very -- the comments they made on air, and --



LEMON: You mean the protestors made on air?



PITTENGER: Yes, sir. I was only trying to convey what they were saying, and yet it didn't come out right, and I apologize. I have many, many dear friends in the African-American community, and those frankly -- and my colleagues in the United States Congress, and I've gone to them tonight and really apologized to them, because that certainly is not the spirit of who I am.

Previously:



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