HanAssholeSolo, the Reddit user behind the now-famous video showing Trump body-slamming the CNN logo, apologized Tuesday in a post on the website.
In a lengthy post on the popular social media site, Solo apologized for past anti-Semitic posts, and to CNN for the video.
“I would like to apologize to the members of the Reddit community for getting this site and this sub embroiled in a controversy that should never have happened,” Solo wrote.
“I would also like to apologize for the posts made that were racist, bigoted, and anti-semitic. I am in no way this kind of person, I love and accept people of all walks of life and have done so for my entire life.”
On Sunday, Trump tweeted Solo’s video with sound effects that were added at an unknown point. The tweet, which has now been retweeted more than 330,000 times, immediately sparked backlash from CNN and other journalists.
Solo apologized, calling the post ‘satire’.
“The meme was created purely as satire, it was not meant to be a call to violence against CNN or any other news affiliation,” they wrote. “I had no idea anyone would take it and put sound to it and then have it put up on the President’s Twitter feed.”{mosads}
Solo went on, calling trolling an “addiction” and urging other Redditors to reject bullying.
“Trolling is nothing more than bullying a wide audience,” they wrote. “Don’t feed your own self-worth based upon inflicting suffering upon others online just because you are behind a keyboard.”
“We as redditors and as Americans are better than this.”
The Reddit user also wrote that despite the meme’s content, they have respect for the First Amendment and reporters.
“Our first amendment protects the press from things like violence, and we as American citizens should respect that even if the opinions of the press are not in line with our own,” Solo wrote.
“I have the highest respect for the journalist community and they put their lives on the line every day with the jobs that they do in reporting the news.”
Solo concluded the post by announcing that they would be abandoning their account on the website.
CNN told The Hill on Sunday that it’s a “sad day when the president of the United States encourages violence against reporters.”
“Clearly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the president had never done so. Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his healthcare bill, he is instead involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.”