The Baltimore man who yelled “Heil Hitler, Heil Trump” during a performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” has apologized, saying he is “embarassed and ashamed” at the way he expressed his opposition to the president.
“I just want everybody to know I am sincerely sorry,” said Tony Derlunas, in an interview Friday with local TV station WBAL. “I opened my mouth and it was so wrong, and I know that now. In the moment, it was just my frustration. I don’t know what I was thinking. I am so ashamed. My heart goes out to all those that I ruined their night, to everybody that was affected by my stupidity.”
Derlunas was escorted from the Hippodrome Theatre Wednesday following his outburst after the first act of the musical that centers on a Jewish family in Russia.
“I’m so embarrassed and ashamed and disgusted with myself. I didn’t think at the time about my frustrations with President Trump, and I was trying to compare Trump to Hitler because he plays into the fears of people, and it just came out wrong,” Derlunas said.
Derlunas’ explanation matches what he told police about his intentions the night of the incident.
