Romney's son apologizes to Obama for 'swing' remark
(CNN) – Tagg Romney, Mitt Romney's oldest son, apologized to President Barack Obama Monday for saying he wanted to "take a swing" at him during contentious presidential debates.
Obama and Tagg Romney were seen speaking on the stage after Monday's final presidential debate, held at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. Two Obama aides said the conversation included an apology for the remark, made last week during a radio interview.
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Asked in that interview what it's like "to hear the President of the United States call your dad a liar," Tagg Romney joked about his fantasy response.
"Jump out of your seat and you want to rush down to the debate stage and take a swing at him," he said. "But you know you can't do that because, well, first because there's a lot of Secret Service between you and him, but also because that's the nature of the process. You know they're going to try to do anything they can do to make my dad into something he's not."
"We signed up for it, we've got to kind of sit there and take our punches, and send them the other way," he continued.
One of Tagg Romney's brothers, Josh, downplayed the comments in an interview on ABC's "The View."
"That brother has slugged me a couple of times," Josh Romney said. "I'm sure President Obama has nothing to worry about."
Asked about the original comments on Thursday, Romney campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said Tagg Romney was "joking about how frustrating this process can be for family."
CNN's Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.
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How about a little freedom of speech here.
It was either apologize or run to France for two years.
CNN – you are kidding right? This is your front page news tonight? Fox breaks the story that the Administration and State Department had information on the Benghazi attack in real time as it was happening and that it was an Al-Qaeda group – and your front web story is that Tagg Romney wants to take a swing at the President? CNN – you are kidding right?
After watching the debate again it was pretty clear to see that the entire debate was a scam and a fraud on Mitt Romney's part. Romney and the Republicans have been slamming the President on his foreign policy since day one and in an attempt to fool undecided and Independent voters Romney threw the debate on purpose.Almost every Republican including Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have mocked every move the President has made in the past four years and last night they set up a scam by agreeing with 90% of Obamas foreign policy decisions.How can anyone trust a scam artist like Mitts to run the free world,Bernie Madoff has nothing on Romney
What kind of a name is Tagg? Seriously, I think naming your child Tagg should be enough to disqualify a run for president.
Wow CNN wants to here the truth from us but they can't handle the truth. How about this. Wish Romney's son would have have taken a swing at his dad.
Perhaps Tagg missed having a positive role model in his life growing up.
well, could be taught much earlier, where is the parents?
How can you trust this entire Romney family. Their hatred, apologies, flip-flopping, are all clear signs of dishonest and deceitful behavior. They want to take a swing? Obama does not have to call their dad a liar – he is a liar by his own actions. He changes his stand, story every few days – how can people even trust this guy?
They feel frustration from the campaign huh. They really have thin skins and no grasp of reality. Their father and his running mate have spent the past 4 years bashing our president. How about they factor that in their heads before they speak.
If they were in the shoes of President Obama or any member of his family they would have a real good sense of what frustration when they cannot respond to the garbage flung at them on a daily basis from our "fellow" americans.
Willards' family should get on camera and make a statement to the GOP calling them out on the unacceptable behavior for the past 4 years and also tell them to apologize to the american citizens for the train wreck of hyper-partisanship they created.
Here is a thought – how about the whole family get in front of the camera and urge their fellow
Unnecessary apology. It's not like he was serious about it. This is the top of the page!?! Come on cnn, talk about the economy and explain the differences between the candidates just in case someone is interested in something besides the drama.
See? Even Romney's son knows Obama won the debate.
Good for him. He should have apologized and shows character.
Modest hyperbole that needs no explanation. Nothing to see here... Move along 🙂
Such comments are often heard from Republicans.....so I am not surprised. They want to hit anyone who disagrees with their version of "Truth".
Omg LoL this is SucH important NEWZ!
Tagg Romney was "joking about how frustrating this process can be for family."????
Excuse me? How much has the whole of America been putting up with his father's flip-flops all these times?
You mean he's trying everything in his power to show your dad for who he truly is, right?
Well,
I would like to take a swing at most politicians I have come across, but unfortunately I cannot.
ill-mannered kids....yet romney wants to run a nation...Take a swing at the POTUS? i haven't seen that seat disrespected as much as its been since BO came into office.
He needn't apologize. He said it lightheartedly. The media made a big fuss out of it. I am voting Obama by the way.
The Romney kid better look out !!! All those people around here who look like Obama got guns and knives !!!
He's not apologizing for the remark – he's just sorry he was caught saying it.
The whole thing is kind of silly
Looks like Mitt & Ann think it all just hysterically funny that their son is such a spoiled-rotten clown without a hint of just how inappropriate and not within the social norms his comment was.