Rupert Murdoch has issued an apology, after suggesting on Twitter that Barack Obama was not a “real black president”.
Murdoch sent a tweet on Wednesday night praising the Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson and his wife and jabbing at the current president – although not by name.
Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 8, 2015
The tweet met with a remarkable stream of ridicule and invective.
I’m dying to know what @rupertmurdoch meant by “a real black President.” Is Obama not a real Black person? Rupe what is a real Black person?
— Touré (@Toure) October 8, 2015
@rupertmurdoch Can you please regularly advise black Americans on which of them is "real", so they'll be free of doubt?
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) October 8, 2015
Carson traces his ancestry to slaves in Harris County, Georgia. Obama’s parents were a black Kenyan and a white Kansan.
Murdoch, a white man born in Australia with a primary residence in the UK who is a naturalized American citizen, sent his apology about 11 hours after the first tweet:
Apologies! No offence meant. Personally find both men charming.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 8, 2015
Charming – but black? Murdoch could not be reached for comment.
The mogul has in the past had to apologize on Twitter for tweets about American politics. In July 2012 he tweeted that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s staff was not up to snuff:
Met Romney last week. Tough O Chicago pros will be hard to beat unless he drops old friends from team and hires some real pros. Doubtful.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) July 1, 2012
A couple of hours later he followed up with this:
Romney people upset at me! Of course I want him to win, save us from socialism, etc but should listen to good advice and get stuck in!
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) July 2, 2012
Turned out he was right about Romney.
