Rupert Murdoch says sorry for anti-Obama tweet

Mr Murdoch stepped back from his remarks, tweeting on Thursday: “Apologies!”

Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States, is not a “real black president”, Rupert Murdoch has tweeted, triggering angry reactions and forcing the powerful media mogul to apologise for his racially offensive comments.

Murdoch tossed this sort-of endorsement to Carson at a time when the acclaimed retired neurosurgeon and presidential candidate has been making headlines for saying any offensive thing that pops into his head.

Asked about the controversy, Dr Carson said the businessman apologised because people took his comments “the wrong way”. “He’s not a racist by any stretch of the imagination”, Carson said.

The News Corporation boss uses Twitter to share his often provocative opinions on social, political or environmental issues.

Carson criticized Obama’s record helping blacks during his time in the Oval Office. “No offense meant. Personally find both men [Obama and Carson] charming”.

Murdoch, for his part, hasn’t been reticent to chime in on the presidential race on his Twitter account.

But perhaps not Murdoch, whose tweet earlier this year suggests he shares a similar prejudice against Muslims: “Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible”.

“I do believe that”, Carson said.

A few days ago, he tweeted: “Everywhere pundits keep underestimating Ben Carson“.

Murdoch tweeted an advertisement for Ben Carson’s then-upcoming appearance on The Kelly File, which airs on the Fox News Channel, which is owned by News Corp. He added, “Irreproachable on background, achievements, character, vision”. It is, as Murdoch said, worth reading.

“This president has done everything he could do in the face of Rupert Murdoch”, Jones said.