Neither Side Is Happy About Today Interview of 'MAGA Kid'

Some calling interview too softball, others saying unfair blame placed on Nick Sandmann
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 23, 2019 6:02 PM CST

The Today show on Wednesday aired Savannah Guthrie's interview with Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student at the center of a controversy over a clash between students and Native American activists at the Lincoln Memorial over the weekend, and no one is happy about it. The Hill reports critics on both sides of the aisle are decrying the interview: liberals because they don't think the Kentucky teen, who was in Washington DC with his classmates for an anti-abortion rally and was wearing a Make America Great Again hat during the confrontation, should be given a national platform; conservatives because Guthrie asked Sandmann whether he thinks he should apologize to Nathan Phillips, the activist with whom he came face to face.

The way she worded that question, which some criticized as a "leading" question putting words in the teen's mouth: "Do you feel from this experience that you owe anybody an apology? Do you see your own fault in any way?" Sandmann's response: "As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips. I respect him. I’d like to talk to him ... But I can't say that I'm sorry for listening to him and standing there." Both the Hill and USA Today round up appalled social media reactions to the interview from both sides. As for Phillips, Guthrie said the show had interviewed him as well and predicted viewers might hear from him on Thursday's show. The latest scrutiny around him involves his military service; the Washington Post delves into that. (Sandmann says he wishes he had walked away.)

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