Carl Paladino Responds with Apology Over Obama Remarks

Buffalo businessman, political activist and Donald Trump supporter Carl Paladino sent out an apology letter to supporters and the media on Tuesday after receiving strong criticism for comments he made about President Obama and the first lady recently, who he said should be “let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe.”

"I never intended to hurt the minority community who I spent years trying to help," said Paladino who claims the comments to Artvoice, a weekly Buffalo news publication, were not meant to be sent.  "I filled out the survey to send to a couple friends and forwarded it to them not realizing that I didn't hit “forward” I hit “reply.” All men make mistakes," Paladino wrote.

Paladino told Artvoice last week that he hopes that President Obama "dies of Madcow disease after being caught having relations with a hereford,"  Paladino's remarks inspired harsh criticism from both Republicans and Democrats and even some calling for his removal from the Buffalo City School Board, where he serves as a board member.  Governor Andrew Cuomo, who defeated Paladino in the governor's race in 2010 called the remarks, “racist, ugly and reprehensible.”  But, most notable was a statement by Paladino's own son, William, who runs the family investment firm. The younger Paladino wrote on the company’s Facebook page that he nor their company condoned what his father said. He called the statements “disrespectful and absolutely unnecessary.”

The apology from Paladino is in stark contrast from what he said before Christmas when he told people to “Merry Christmas and tough luck if you don’t like my answer.”

"Those survey questions provided me with the spark to vent and write deprecating humor about a bad President for whom the main stream media continues to seek an undeserved legacy," said Paladino.  "What is horrible is explaining to my 17 year old daughter how her hero could be so stupid," he said.

Read Paladino's entire apology here.

Paladino has been criticized over the years for remarks that have been labeled racist, including a 2010 tweet that he forwarded depicting President Obama as a pimp, among other disparaging images.

There has been no response from President-elect Donald Trump or the White House since the controversy began last week.

School board president reacts to Paladino remarks: