Nugent Apologizes for Obama Comment
BURNETT: Tonight, new developments in a story we have been following at the University of Mississippi. Police are pushing for criminal charges against three freshman males suspected of placing a noose on the campus statue of civil rights icon James Meredith. They also allegedly draped a flag with a Confederate emblem over the statue's head. Officials haven't released any names, but we do know the fraternity Sigma Pi Epsilon expelled three students earlier today, that they say are responsible for desecrating the statue. Now, police are investigating another race related incident near campus. A day after the noose was found, a black student at Ole Miss said somebody threw alcohol at her from a car while yelling the "N" word. They don't know at this time if those two incidents are related. But our Nick Valencia is on the ground there in Oxford, Mississippi, with the student's first national interview. Nick, you spoke to Kiesha Reeves, the young girl that was harassed. Tell us what you found out.</s>NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL REPORTER: Erin, Kiesha Reeves says she is doing OK considering what happened to her. When we spoke to her, she said she heard of other black students here at Ole Miss that have encountered racism, but when it happened to her, she said she was shocked. She took us back to the scene of the incident and she told us what happened.</s>KIESHA REEVES, STUDENT AT OLE MISS: I was in my car looking for my charger, and when I heard it, I kind of popped my head up and that's when it all -- that's when he threw it out of a gray cup.</s>VALENCIA: What did you hear?</s>REEVES: It was</s>VALENCIA: Do you think there's a culture of intolerance here at Ole Miss? Because when you hear something like this happened, it immediately people -- some people aren't surprised, a lot of people aren't surprised that it happened at Ole Miss. What do you think?</s>REEVES: I think that people are dealing with balancing the old Ole Miss with the new Ole Miss and what they're trying to become, balancing and dealing with what their parents sent them to school here because that's school they went to and they're dealing with the history being disrupted or dismantled and they really just are searching for that back, so they are dealing with change.</s>VALENCIA: Kiesha Reeves says despite what happened to her, she is not having any plans of transferring. In fact, up until now, she says her experience at college has been very rewarding and very fulfilling, and she thinks the University of Mississippi is one of the best universities in the nation, and we spoke with the chancellor and we had an honest and frank discussion about the culture on campus. He said despite these incidents this past week, it's not indicative of what the current climate is here on campus. He acknowledges that history of intolerance here and how this university has been a lightning rod for race-related incidents over the last couple of decades. But he says that's not the way the university is now and they have gone above and beyond in recent years to try to have an honest conversation to change things here -- Erin.</s>BURNETT: All right. Nick, thank you very much. Reporting from the ground there. Of course, we will see what happens as we get more information about this slate of incidents. Tonight, firebrand Ted Nugent caves to political pressure. Now, you probably heard by now, that Ted Nugent, the rocker, called President Obama a "subhuman mongrel." And that after that comment, Nugent appeared on the campaign trail this week with Greg Abbott, who is the leading Republican candidate for the governor of Texas. Now, I'd put a white hot light on the part of the Republican base the GOP likes to count on but definitely doesn't want to showcase. Here's some reaction from some top Republicans.</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: It's a free country, but that kind of language really doesn't have anyplace in our political dialogue. It harms the Republican Party. I am sure it harmed that candidate there, and they should be obviously repudiated.</s>GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: I do have a problem with that. That is an inappropriate thing to say.</s>BURNETT: And last night, Senator Rand Paul tweeted this. Quote, "Ted Nugent's derogatory description of President Obama is offensive and has no place in politics. He should apologize." I want to bring in Chris Kofinis, Democratic strategist, and Ben Ferguson, a CNN political contributor and conservative radio host. Of course, Ben, it was on your show -- Nugent came on your show today. You asked him about this.</s>BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.</s>BURNETT: You asked him point black if he apologizes. Let me play for our viewers how he answered that question.</s>FERGUSON: Did you cross the line by calling the president of the United States of America that, and if you saw Barack Obama would you apologize to him for saying that about him?</s>TED NUGENT, MUSICIAN: Yes, I would. I did cross the line. I do apologize. Not necessarily to the president, but on behalf of much better men than myself, like the best governor in America, Governor Rick Perry.</s>BURNETT: So you are sitting there, Ben, to that answer and social media lights up saying, OK, that is not an apology. And so, you followed up and let me play that.</s>FERGUSON: People are saying it was not a real apology. So, again, for the record, are you apologizing to the United States president, Barack Obama, for calling him a "subhuman mongrel"?</s>NUGENT: Yes.</s>BURNETT: All right. So he did. But that was tough to get him to say it. That's not how he wanted to say it. I mean, do you think, Ben, he is sorry or he was just pressured into saying so?</s>FERGUSON: No, I think he wanted to make sure that he didn't hurt anybody that he supports in the campaign trail. We talked a little bit earlier before the interview for a second, and you could tell in his voice, he wishes he would not have used those words, as he put it, 40 days earlier. He also said to me that, you know, when you are saying something like he does, he doesn't like the president. That's obvious. He is a rock star guy, take that into consideration and context here, and he is a guy that loves a camera and loves to give people the sound bite. And he said afterwards, I learned from political people around me and I learned this probably hurt people, and I am apologizing and will not use those words in the future, so from a rock star, as he put it to me, this is the first time he ever apologized for anything he's ever said in his career and he said a lot of things in his career. So, for me, it was a different side of Ted Nugent.</s>BURNETT: Interesting. Chris, what's your take? Because it sounds like from what Ben is describing, it was a tactical apology, because his words hurt people running for office, and not an apology because he didn't mean what he said?</s>CHRIS KOFINIS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think it may have been the worst apology I heard anybody give. He didn't apologize. To be honest about it, you saw in the beginning what he said, not necessarily to the president, and then when Ben pushed him he said yes to the apology Ben articulated. He never said the words -- I apologize to the president of the United States. At the end of the day this is not so much about Ted Nugent and people like him. It really is about Greg Abbott and politicians that surround themselves by individuals that are really this extreme and this radical in terms of the rhetoric in their language and then have a real difficulty disabusing themselves, of them or making it clear that they don't agree with it in condemning it. You saw some Republicans come out very forthright. Senator Paul, Senator McCain, I think that was smart. But for whatever reason, Greg Abbott, still has not done that, I have a feeling it's going to continue to haunt him in his race for governor.</s>BURNETT: I mean -- go ahead, Ben.</s>FERGUSON: I think it's pretty clear that the Greg Abbott campaign, if they would have known this video is out there would not have had him come with him at this campaign stop.</s>FERGUSON: I've actually talked to campaign members. Hold on. I talked to people in the campaign. I've been dealing with this for about 48 hours with everybody who is involved, from Wendy Davis' people to Greg Abbott's people, to show and Ted Nugent today. So, I know a little bit about the history here. They had talked to Nugent about coming to do this, specifically in a quick decision after Wendy Davis flip-flopped on guns. That's why it happened from what I have been told about it. They obviously did not know this quote was out there, and if they did, they probably would not have asked him to come. Obviously, now, they definitely would not have asked him to come and I think Ted Nugent today felt bad about that.</s>BURNETT: But let me ask you a question, Ben, because you know, he then -- Ted Nugent continued on your show, because you said, well, if you had the chance to talk to President Obama, what would you tell him right now? And he went off and called him a liar. He's called him a idiot before to our Deb Feyerick.</s>FERGUSON: Yes.</s>BURNETT: I mean, so Greg Abbott was totally fine going -- having a guy who called the president a liar and an idiot and a whole lot of other things. I mean, subhuman mongrel seems to be the line, but I mean, the tone of what Ted Nugent said is no different than what he said before.</s>FERGUSON: This is what Ted said today. He said the president of the United States of America walked out there when people died in Benghazi and he made up a fictitious story about a fake video and made up a story about why these protests happened on the anniversary of 9/11 to cover his rear in the reelection. He says that's lying, he says Susan Rice lied, the president lied, even Hillary Clinton lied. So, that's when he talks about being a liar. He said I don't trust him on being stories like that, when Americans actually died serving this country, including an ambassador. Put it in the context of that, and it's not like he is saying the governor is a liar, he is specifically talking about that incident and said I can't trust him --</s>BURNETT: He called him a gangster and idiot and a lot of other things.</s>FERGUSON: Sure, he is a rock star and his name is Ted Nugent and he is a crazy guy. I don't need to defend him on that.</s>KOFINIS: Wait a second. You diminish everything -- when you say he is a rock star, you're diminishing the role and significance he plays where he has been a surrogate for Republicans.</s>BURNETT: Yes, he is an influential, powerful guy with a lot of people in that party, and that's important. Right.</s>KOFINIS: And he is a surrogate for Greg Abbott, and it's not what the Abbott campaign knew 30 or 40 days ago when the statement was said, it's when it finally did come out, they did not come out and they yet have to come out, unless I'm mistaken, and make it clear it's an awful remark and it should be condemned, and they would not campaign with Ted Nugent again. They have not said that, have they, Ben?</s>BURNETT: Well, I do want to note that Ted Nugent, of course, was supposed to appear on this program on Wednesday night, as many of you know. He canceled couple of hours before the show, and he got some grief from that. Ben asked him about that and I want to play for you what he said about this program.</s>NUGENT: There's nothing to be afraid of with Erin Burnett. She's a sweetheart. She's a reasonably professional journalist that doesn't take a hateful attitude.</s>BURNETT: We re-scheduled Ted Nugent and I look forward to talk to him.</s>FERGUSON: And, Erin, he wanted me to tell you, he cannot wait to spend time in your presence on Monday. That was his exact text to me earlier. He said, tell her I said congratulations on the new baby girl and her husband and I'm looking forward to Monday.</s>BURNETT: All right. Well, we will have that interview on Monday, and thanks to both of you. Next, get out criminal. Death to the criminal. Protesters chanting on the streets of Kiev today. A live report from the chaos next. And then, an OUTFRONT exclusive.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you remember when you learned that your father murdered Jeffrey Dahmer?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.