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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He apologized. He has more class than his dad.
Well, I'm decided now! Learn how to raise your kids, then maybe we'll consider voting for you, Mitt.
Swing for the win
That apology was late. Tagg is like a ten year old.
I guess money can't buy class.. case in point the Romneys
Come on, Mitt. Control your kid, iff you want to be president. They have to the walk the walk or we'll end up being taxed more. Let's keep these peasants in the dark. Stay rich, my friend.
Joke or no joke, it was still a very disrespectful thing to say. Barack Obama is, afterall, the President of the United States... I think this shows just how elitist and out-of-touch this family is.
Seriously grow up!
To publicly express your desire to take a swing at the President does not even move the needle on the Richter scale of smarts.
Oh, it's not that big a deal. He was just worked up over the president zinging his dad.
Nice gesture, at least he had the decency to apologize to the President. At least Tag had remorse.
OK so i might be a little blind but i didnt see any thing that specifies what he said.
To express your desire to take a swing at the President does not even move the needle on the Richter scale of smarts.
I love the look on Michelle's face. Priceless.
Like father like son. Shows how he was brought up. Romney would be a disaster for this country if he gets elected as he wouldn't only leave where Bush left, he'd do even worse when it comes to foreign relations (although most think it's impossible to do any worse than the previous republican government).
Make his dad into something he's not huh? He just showed us who he is. He'd probably think that the media is making him into something he's not as well. Words are cheap, can't turn the table around with them Tagg. Tag, you're it.
so you can talk on peoples back about how you will like to punch them, but if they hear you saying those things, you just apologize and everything is ok.... really? what can of church is he going?
So, he likes punching maybe he should serve his country! In the military!
make obama president again romney is going to tear this country apart dont let him do that make obama president again help me american cizeten
FALSE. Romneys DONT Apologize... it is in his book.. DUH
The Romneys are a classy family.
This shows a family of true character and what a great man PRESIDENT ROMNEY will be.
apparently his dad did not raise him to respect people.
More of the media taking things out of context – NEXT.
You know what they do to normal, unprivileged people who joke about violence against any President? The Secret Service visits them and they get a permanent file. Or if they're foreigners, they get deported for threatening-and-obviously-joking tweets.
Poor Tagg. If he had taken a swing at the President, he would have been shot down like a rabid dog by Secret Service.