Kentucky teen in viral video says he did nothing provocative: 'I had every right' to stand there

Junior Nick Sandmann of Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky said: “As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. (Nathan) Phillips. I respect him. I’d like to talk to him. I mean, in hindsight, I wish we could’ve walked away and avoided the whole thing.” (Survival Media Agency via AP)

A teen at the center of a video confrontation with a Native American organizer of a march in Washington, D.C., is set to appear on mainstream media Tuesday morning to say he did nothing to provoke anyone and sought to calm the situation.

"Today’s" Savannah Guthrie asked junior Nick Sandmann of Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky: “Do you feel from this experience that you owe anybody an apology? Do you see your own fault in any way?”

He replied: “As far as standing there, I had every right to do so. My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. (Nathan) Phillips. I respect him. I’d like to talk to him. I mean, in hindsight, I wish we could’ve walked away and avoided the whole thing.”

Many Americans on the left, from journalists to celebrities, were quick to judge the group of high school students who were accused of mocking a Native American participant in the Indigenous Peoples March, which coincided with the March for Life over the weekend.

Sandmann previously said students were waiting at the Lincoln Memorial for buses to return to Kentucky on Friday when four African-American protesters there began insulting them.

The Native American, Phillips, said he approached the Kentucky students to keep the peace between them and the third group of protesters.

Videos show Sandmann standing very close to Phillips and staring at him as he sang and played the drum.

Other students — some in distinctive “Make America Great Again” hats and sweatshirts — were chanting and laughing.

Sandman said the students began yelling “school spirit chants” to drown out the protesters and he did not hear students chant anything “hateful or racist at any time.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.