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Culture > News

A North Carolina Congressman Says Charlotte Protesters ‘Hate White People’

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Taylor Carson

Robert Pittenger, a Republican congressman who represents part of the Charlotte area, said in a TV interview on Thursday that protestors “hate white people because white people are successful and they’re not.” Pittenger, 68, was speaking to a reporter for BBC Newsnight at the time of his ignorant statements. 

Pittenger rescinded his statements and apologized only a few hours after the comments were made. In an attempt to explain himself, he took to Twitter and claimed that his “anguish” about the Charlotte protests prompted him to respond to a question “in a way that I regret.” 

So, what exactly was Pittenger’s intent? According to another tweet by the congressman, he was trying to “discuss the lack of economic mobility for African Americans because of failed policies.” Hm.

Pittenger is being condemned by many people, including two other state legislators and the North Carolina Democratic Party. 

In a statement released on Facebook, the North Carolina Democratic Party called Pittenger’s comments inexcusable. 

Pittenger went back on TV Thursday night to defuse the criticism, but it seems like the damage has already been done.

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Taylor is a senior at Temple University in Philadelphia. She is pursuing a major in journalism with a minor in English. Taylor is a member of Delta Zeta and she hopes to work for a magazine after college. Some of Taylor's favorite things include fashion, fitness, Harry Potter, Chipotle and Instagram. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @Tay_Carson!