Former Republican senator Rick Santorum is out as a political commentator at CNN after a controversy surrounding his comments about Native American culture.
On CNN, Santorum was a senior political commentator who was often tasked with giving the Republican point of view during campaign coverage. His exit was confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday by Alison Rudnick, vice president of HLN Communications and CNN Diversity and Inclusion.
USA TODAY has reached out to CNN for further comment.
“When I signed on with CNN, I understood I would be providing commentary that is not regularly heard by the typical CNN viewer,” Santorum tweeted Saturday. “I appreciate the opportunity CNN provided me over the past 4 years. I am committed to continuing the fight for our conservative principles and values.”
The former senator drew backlash last month for a April 23 speech about “birthing a nation from nothing” at the Standing Up For Faith & Freedom conference for Young America’s Foundation, a conservative youth organization. A video clip from his address went viral, in which he said mostly European settlers created a nation based on Judeo-Christian principles and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“We came here and created a blank slate. We birthed a nation from nothing. I mean, there was nothing here. I mean, yes, we have Native Americans, but candidly there isn’t much Native American culture in American culture,” the former Pennsylvania senator said.
“It was born of the people who came here pursuing religious liberty, to practice their faith, live as they ought to live, and have the freedom to do so.”
Rick Santorum says he ‘misspoke’:The CNN commentator sparked backlash for saying ‘there isn’t much Native American culture in American culture’
In a statement to USA TODAY, Santorum previously said he “had no intention of minimizing or in any way devaluing Native American culture.”
On May 3, he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo that he “misspoke” in the sense that it wasn’t clear that he was speaking in the context of the founding of the U.S. government.
“People say I’m trying to dismiss what happened to the Native Americans,” he said. “Far from it. The way we treated Native Americans was horrific. It goes against every bone and everything I’ve ever fought for as a leader in the Congress.”
The president of the National Congress of American Indians, Fawn Sharp, called Santorum arrogant for the response.
“I was optimistic he would own it, he would recognize it and he would apologize, but he did none of those things,” Sharp said.
Rick Santorum to Parkland students:Learn CPR instead of protesting for ‘phony gun laws’
Santorum’s comments have garnered blowback before, especially his views on gay marriage and homosexuality. In 2003, he infuriated gay rights advocates by appearing to compare homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality.
He also made controversial comments to students in 2018 about their efforts to change gun laws after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
“How about kids instead of looking to someone else to solve their problem, do something about maybe taking CPR classes or trying to deal with situations that when there is a violent shooter that you can actually respond to that,” Santorum said as a guest on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Contributing: Asha C. Gilbert and Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, and The Associated Press
