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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Oh please I'm sick of these mean republicans apologizing. Te still should have been arrested for threatning the President, he's old enough to know better and the secret service should have circled his ass when he arrived. Like father like son(s) arrogant mean bullies.
I think in my life I will start pulling "a Romney"...that is to say something total ignorant and insulting to people, and then later say I didn't mean it, and I want to see how that does for me. Because it apparently causes millions of people to respect you. The Romney family is real good at it.
It goes to show you how this family thinks & really acts. How in the world could you, at this stage of your life, say such a thing to the public about the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! From that idiot senator yelling "LIAR" during Pres. Obama's address to Congress, to numerous of disrespectful public outburst from so-called educated & upstanding individuals. "Tagg" is just the product of the same fakeness, arrogance, disrepectful of others his father displays! So glad the Obamas know how to treat people with respect & dignity, especially out in the public eye. They know 1st impressions are lasting impressions. The Romneys only know how to act as if they are the smartest people on the planet & thumb their noses at everyone! Romney is no leader. He's a "story of the week", at best! He MAY be good at finance, but Pres. Obama has gotten advice from those much more smarter than Romney when it comes to finance & running huge companies instead of these "fly by nighters" Romney has invested his $$$s in!! I don't trust anyone who flip-flops all the time. It was John Kerry's problem during his Presidential bid & that's why I didn't vote for him. I see alot of that going on with Romney during this election period. Saying things opposite of what he is known to think & say over the years. At least Pres. Obama has stayed consistent for the most part as to what he has said & by his actions. By Pres. Obama's actions...he has my vote!
Get a grub our next president is and will be Obama
It's funny how American are going about this whole freedom of speech thing. The president of the United State is well respected around the world including among other world leaders. But here at home even a house pet can say anything it like about the world greatest leader and the American people will say it's freedom of speech. If you guys can't respect your parents at home and elderly at least give your president some respect, your, heard? The world know it's the American way children are brought up rude and disgruntled all in the name of child's right, but please keep it in your various homes and not to all of us our leader. Even terrorist Trimble when they hear the U. S president speak, so what's all this nonsense so-called freedom of speech?
Sorry for not catching himself before saying it out loud; I expect the thought was still there. It's okay for the Romneys to call the president every derogatory name in the book, but not visa versa. How ungentlemanly.
I thought the comment was funny. It made way for a good SNL skit. Probably the best one they had done since the last election (Palin).
I think lots of people owe the President an apology. Everyone that voted for him in 2008 and put him in a position that he is so ill-equipped to do. It's not fun to be over your head on the job day-after-day, week-after-week, month-after-month.
Obama is saying to him, "I own you and your dad."
Katerina
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?
Katheryn don't waste your breath here.. They will not acknowledge or care about the bias they show until somebody is able to succesfully sue them on the liable or pure lack of journalism ethics that they claim to have but never exercise. It is ok there are more people out there every day that finally realize that all they care about are cow towing to a pre selected base, and hoping the goverment will bail them out when they finally go under because of not being profitable enough.
Now that Tagg has apologized to Obama (which was the right thing to do), should Obama apologize for all the lies he has said about Romney?
This is not the type people we need in office (disrespect) security should have hand cuffed this "boy". 🙁
It wasn't much of a story to begin with, but I think it was a nice gesture and a classy move for him to apologize.
The ‘apology’ was not sincere at all because it came from a Romney and a Republican.
Tagg Romney was only parroting the blatant disrespect towards the President and the Office of the President previously demonstrated by his father.
Yes they are a violent family, seems like they all have bad tempers including Ann. God help us if Mitt is elected, this country will instantly be at war, but non of the romney boys will serve in the military.
Way to go Romney! Way to teach your children respect.
I think the commetwas meant to be harmless in nature, and he had no real intention of literally taking a swing at the President. However it is a very serious statement that had it been said by an average person they would have been investigated by secret service and probably ban from conventions. So he probably got a break that a lot of other individuals wouldn't have gotten. I also thought it very classy of the president to not make a big deal of the statement for popularity gain. I don't think that had the tables been turned Mr. Romney would have let that go without a little stink. But, overall I think the comment was harmless.
I don't think the comment was so bad and I identify as an Obama supporter. I think he was being truthful and it is sad that politicians and in this case a family member shouldn't have to apologize for being human and having human emotions.
Maybe the correct word is not liar is INCONSISTENT, one day he says something the next HOUR says another things,
take a swing at the President or throw a shoe, still a threat of violence to the President of the United States. Does he get a free pass because of old man mitt?
People reconsider, this dude(Romney) isn't the person for the white house. This is not 1956...lol
Isn't issuing threats to the Preisdent a federal crime?
Tagg apologizes to Obama and it's big news. Obama apologizes to the world and the liberal media tries to cover it up. Journalism is officially dead. Long live the Obama campaign offices at CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, NYT, ........
Maybe Tagg has more ethics that his father seeing that he apologised to to Pres Obama, Mitt doesnt believe in apologising his biography was entitled " No Apology" , and he criitises Obama for so his so called " apologies " to various countries when all he did was acknowledge the US has made some mistakes in dealing with other countries .
He didn't read his father's book about no apologies.