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Donald Trump’s anti-Obama comments during his address at this year’s AIPAC conference sparked a social media firestorm and prompted the president of the organization to issue an apology.

The GOP front-runner said, “With President Obama in his final year, yay!” Later during his remarks, Trump added President Barack Obama “may be the worst thing to happen to Israel.”

AIPAC President Lillian Pinkus and four other leaders from the organization stood together on stage on Tuesday to apologize for Trump’s comments on Monday evening.

Pinkus appeared visibly shaken and, while holding back tears, said:

“From the moment this conference began, until this moment, we have preached a message of unity. We have said, in every way we can think of: Come together. But last evening, something occurred which has the potential to drive us apart, to divide us. We say, unequivocally, that we do not countenance ad hominem attacks, and we take great offense to those that are levied against the president of the United States of America from our stage.”

“While we may have policy differences, we deeply respect the office of president of the United States and our president, Barack Obama. There were people in our AIPAC family who were deeply hurt last night, and for that we are deeply sorry. We are disappointed that so many people applauded the sentiment that we neither agree with or condone.”

On Wednesday, Roland Martin and the NewsOne Now panel discussed Pinkus’ response to the events that transpired, which the president said did not line up with the organization’s principles.

NewsOne Now panelist David Swerdlick said Donald Trump has “taken his remarks too far.” He added, “There’s obviously ways to criticize President Obama on policy without trying to mock him in that setting.”  

Swerdlick, an Associate Editor for The Washington Post, continued to hammer Trump for his lack of facts, saying, “During President Obama’s time, the United States spent over a billion dollars on the Iron Dome Defense System for Israel and over $3 billion dollars on the David’s Sling Defense System that hasn’t been released yet.”

“The idea that Obama has gone sideways on Israel is just not accurate,” said Swerdlick.

Watch Roland Martin and the NewsOne Now panel discuss the AIPAC response and apology for Donald Trump’s anti-Obama comments in the video clip above.

TV One’s NewsOne Now has moved to 7 A.M. ET, be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, in its new time slot on TV One.

Subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

SEE ALSO: 

“Awful Legacy Of The Last Eight Years:” Clinton’s Campaign Works To Clean Up Bill’s Obama Slight

AIPAC President Apologizes For Donald Trump’s Anti-Obama Comments After Backlash  was originally published on newsone.com