Ex-Trump official Carl Higbie defends racist remarks that led to his resignation

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Carl Higbie, the director of advocacy at the pro-Trump America First Policies, said the comments that led to his resignation from a Trump administration post in January were "statistical observations" that were "taken out of context" and were not racist.

Higbie, a former Navy Seal, stepped down as chief of external affairs for the Corporation for National and Community Service, which manages the volunteer organization AmeriCorps, on Jan. 18 after CNN's KFile uncovered radio interviews in which Higbie made remarks disparaging remarks about African-Americans, women, homosexuals and Muslims.

Among the comments highlighted by CNN were Higbie saying that black women "think that breeding is a form of employment" and that the "high percentage of people on welfare in the black race" is because of "lax" morals.

Higbie also said, "I believe wholeheartedly, wholeheartedly, that the black race as a whole, not totally, is lazier than the white race, period."

Although he apologized for the language in January, Higbie appeared to defend the remarks during an interview on the Virginia-based John Fredericks Show Tuesday.

Higbie said he had been forced from his post in the Trump administration by the mainstream media's "relentless attacks on him."

"Look, I had a radio show," Higbie said. "How many times have you said something on radio that could possibly be construed as very controversial when taken completely out of context? What, daily?"

He pointed to his work with CNCS and mission trips he went on in high school as evidence that he is not racist.

"You could not have been more far off base by putting that headline out there," Higbie said of CNN's report. "However, it fit their narrative, and because I made a statistical observation, they think that's racist."

Vice President Pence was scheduled to speak at an event in Tempe, Ariz. on Tuesday that was organized by Higbie's new employer, America First Policies. The dark-money non-profit that promotes Trump's agenda announced Higbie's position with the organization on March 15.

Since Higbie joined, Pence has spoken at America First Policies meetings including events in Atlanta, Manchester, N.H., Charlotte, N.C., Minneapolis and Milwaukee.