Fitzwater Offers Danes Apology for Breakfast Remark
COPENHAGEN — President Reagan’s press spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater, apologized today to Denmark for appearing to say during a crisis in U.S.-Danish relations that he would eat the Danes for breakfast.
The apology followed a remark at a White House press conference on Wednesday, when Fitzwater was asked to comment on a Danish election called for May 10 over an opposition move to tighten a ban on ships taking nuclear arms into Danish ports.
“Danish means breakfast to me,” Fitzwater replied to laughter, in a reference to the Danish pastries many Americans eat with their morning coffee.
Danish national radio broadcast the comment, apparently causing acute embarrassment to U.S. Embassy officials in Copenhagen at a time when the United States was attacking the Danish nuclear move as a threat to NATO.
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