Conservative polemicist Dinesh D’Souza apologized on Wednesday for an “insensitive” tweet mocking survivors of last week’s deadly Florida school shooting.
“While it aimed at media manipulation, my tweet was insensitive to students who lost friends in a terrible tragedy. I’m truly sorry,” he wrote in a rare public backtracking on Twitter.
While it aimed at media manipulation, my tweet was insensitive to students who lost friends in a terrible tragedy. I’m truly sorry
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 21, 2018
For D’Souza, no stranger to controversial right-wing opinion, it was a rare admission that he had gone too far. On Tuesday, the commentator tweeted a mocking message in a response to an image of students reacting to the Florida legislature’s decision not to move forward with a statewide assault weapons ban.
“Worst news since their parents told them to get summer jobs,” he sneered at an image of distraught children.
The tweet remains live despite D’Souza’s apology.
Worst news since their parents told them to get summer jobs https://t.co/Vg3mXYvb4c
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 20, 2018
Before beating a retreat, D’Souza had originally tried to defend the tweet with some additional context.
“Genuine grief I can empathize with. But grief organized for the cameras–politically orchestrated grief–strikes me as phony & inauthentic,” he said. “While the media exploits the Parkland shooting, my heart goes out to the parents & family members who are grieving the loss of loved ones.”
While the media exploits the Parkland shooting, my heart goes out to the parents & family members who are grieving the loss of loved ones
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 21, 2018
The apology after D’Souza received a storm of backlash from both liberals and conservatives.