Pat Robertson

What was the accusation?

In August 2005, during a telecast on the Christian Broadcasting Network, religious broadcaster and former U.S. presidential candidate Pat Robertson opined that the United States should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, suggesting that “[it’s] a whole lot cheaper than starting a war, and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.” Shortly after denying his call for assassination, Robertson issued an apology for his remarks, stating that he “spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him.” Robertson also defended his comment, submitting that it would be “wiser to wage war against one person rather than finding ourselves down the road locked in another bitter struggle with a whole nation.”

Key Apologia Strategies:

Provocation, Transcendence

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Sources

Goodstein, L. (2005, August 25). Broadcaster offers apology for calling for assassination. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/politics/broadcaster-offers-apology-for-calling-for-assassination.html

Lagorio, C. (2005, August 24). Robertson apologizes. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/robertson-apologizes/

Robertson apologizes for Chavez comment. (2005, August 24). NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9047102/ns/world_news-americas/t/robertson-apologizes-chavez-comment/#.WUx3HOvyvIU