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Andrew Yang, the founder of the Forward Party, has walked back his defense of embattled Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan.
On Sunday, the failed 2020 Democrat presidential candidate and failed 2021 New York City mayoral candidate who has appeared previously on the “The Joe Rogan Experience” reportedly tweeted that “I don’t think Joe Rogan is a racist – the man interacts with and works with black people literally all of the time. Do I know black friends of Joe’s who would swear by him? Yes I do.”
Rogan, a former Bernie Sanders supporter who is already under fire from vaccine hawks in the political/media ecosphere for giving a platform to those who question the conventional COVID narrative, has apologized for using racial slurs after clips emerged of him doing so repeatedly.
It didn’t take long before Yang scrubbed his pro-Rogan statements and apparently tried to get back into the good graces of the left by issuing an apology of his own.
As part of a longer Twitter thread, Yang wrote that “I deleted the tweet because it was wrong-headed. It also hurt people, which is never my intent. I’m sorry. I’m learning and appreciate those who reached out to express their feelings.”
I deleted the tweet because it was wrong-headed. It also hurt people, which is never my intent. I’m sorry. I’m learning and appreciate those who reached out to express their feelings.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) February 7, 2022
Yang also noted that he is going to resume his quest for equity by continuing to advocate for a universal basic income.
Yang’s reversed course apparently prompted conservative influencer Jack Posobiec to quip, “Imagine thinking this clown could lead anything.”
According to CEO Daniel Ek, Spotify is standing by Rogan for now, although it has deleted more past episodes from the platform and also intends to spend $100 million (about what it is reportedly paying Rogan on a multi-licensing deal) to develop content from historically marginalized groups.
Those liberals who “reached out to express their feelings” about Yang’s original tweet before he caved included Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democrat National Committee, who wrote “Dude… seriously?! You joking right Andrew? Is that now the new defining line… working with folks?!”
Many others also called out Yang for his initial backing of Rogan. Here is just a sampling:
This is a joke, right? Like a play on the “I have black friends” racist excuse for not being racist, right?
— Will Hoge (@WillHoge) February 7, 2022
us watching you dig this hole pic.twitter.com/juzFfMscIi
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) February 7, 2022
Sometimes, deleted tweets just mean you thought about it and changed your mind, or someone persuaded you that you were wrong. Other times, you said what you really think got called out by everyone for being an idiot. You decide the reason for this quick delete.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 7, 2022
impossible to tell what's parody anymore https://t.co/2ykGoKIyu7
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) February 7, 2022
Did he really just play the “some of my [his] best friends are black” magic racism immunity line in a non-ironic way? Is this real life?
— Tucker Poling (@TuckerPoling) February 7, 2022
So glad that he is not my President or Mayor
— malicious captain kangaroo (@aekarn) February 7, 2022
consider that this dude made a deep run into the democratic primaries for president and nyc mayorhttps://t.co/nxmNBh2aog
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) February 7, 2022
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