Former Trump appointee apologizes for anti-LGBT+ comments

(CNN) -- Former Trump administration appointee Carl Higbie apologized Friday for the racist, sexist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments he made on the radio.

Higbie resigned on Thursday from his post as the chief of external affairs for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) after CNN's KFile unearthed shocking comments he made about black Americans, Muslims, women, LGBT people, veterans suffering from PTSD and immigrants.

"I'm sorry. I'm not sorry that my words were published, I am sorry that I said them in 2013," Higbie wrote in a tweet on Friday. "Those words do not reflect who I am or what I stand for, I regret saying them. Last night I informed the WH that I was resigning so as not to distract from POTUS' many success. #noexcuses"

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In his former role at CNCS, Higbie was responsible for the public image and messaging of the federal department that oversees volunteer services like AmeriCorps and Senior Corps.

Before joining the administration, Higbie was a prominent surrogate for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

In May 2013 on Sound of Freedom, Higbie said he did not like gay people.

"Rhode Island, land of more liberals, has just OK'ed, gay marriage," Higbie said. "Congratuf'in'lations, you suck, Rhode Island. Why would you do that? Go ahead and twist the knife a little, little bit more. I mean, you are breaking the morals, the moral fiber of our country. You know, I don't like gay people. I just don't."

Later in the show, Higbie elaborated on his views.

"I talk about this in my book, you know, I was, I was molested by a gay guy when I was a young kid and that kind of set the precedence for me. So I, I just, I really don't care for them. You know what, you want to be gay? Fine. Do it over in your own corner," he said.

"If I was president of the United States, I wouldn't make laws saying you can't be gay because I believe that's your right. So go over there, be gay, don't march down in the middle of the street and your drag outfit being fairies and things like that. Don't throw it in my face. Don't make me like it because I don't -- do it on your own. Do it over there and let it be your thing."

In one of the comments on the radio, Higbie said you could "guess the color" of a family he described that lived in his condo association.

"I told this story the other day on my show. Somebody who lives in my condo association that has five kids, and it's her and her husband with the five kids and the mother, the grandmother of the kids, and they don't have jobs, they're there all the time -- I bet you can guess what color they are -- and they have no job," he said.

In other comments, Higbie spoke about his dislike of Muslims.

"People say, 'you know, you're so harsh,'" Higbie said on Warrior Talk Radio in August 2014. "I was called an Islamophobe and I was like, 'no, no, no, no, no, I'm not afraid of them. I don't like them. Big difference.' And they were like, 'well, you're racist.' I was like, fine if that's the definition of it, then I guess I am.'"

Higbie also said he believed those suffering from severe PTSD had a "weak mind."

"Yeah I'm a gonna go out on limb here and say, a lot of people are going to disagree with this comment," Higbie said on Sound of Freedom in February 2013. "But severe PTSD, where guys are bugging out and doing violent acts, is a trait of a weak mind. Now things like (military member) Brandon, where he was legitimately blown up and a loud noise makes him on edge -- completely understandable, but when someone performs an act of violence that is a, it is a weak mind. That is a crazy person, and the fact that they're trying to hide it behind PTSD makes me want to vomit."

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The Gayly 1/19/2018 @ 2:41 p.m. CST