During an appearance on CNN, Lawler also explained that there was a difference between his costume and other white people shading their skin.
FILE - Rep. Mike Lawler , R-N.Y., listens during an event at SUNY Westchester Community College, May 10, 2023, in Valhalla, N.Y. The photos were reportedly part of a Michael Jackson costume when he was a college student and show him wearing a black shirt and red jacket with his face visibly darkened.
When questioned about the photos' authenticity, he told the news outlet it was intended to be "truly the sincerest form of flattery, a genuine homage to my musical hero since I was a little kid trying to moonwalk through my mom's kitchen." “The ugly practice of blackface was the furthest thing from my mind,” he added. “Let me be clear, this is not that.”“I think there is a stark difference between dressing up for Halloween and paying homage to somebody you like and respect versus dressing up in blackface to demean and dehumanize black people, which is what minstrel shows and blackface, you know, historically was about. And that’s obviously not what I was doing there,” he said during the interview.Former Virginia Gov.
"I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," he said at the time. "This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians’ faith in that commitment.
Mike Lawler Halloween Costume Apology Racism Homage Political Criticism Re-Election
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