It's clear he's right about the harm done to blacks by the all-caring government and many live in as bad a condition as ever. You just don't expose yourself to the media's attack by appearing to say that we were better off as slaves. I know he wasn't justifying the slavery system but in making himself vulnerable to that accusation, he's bringing a threat to the conservative movement that supported his courageous stand against tyranny.
He wasn't "walking it back." He was trying to explain what he had said but they're not interested in what he said, because they're too busy trying to tell everyone what they want others to THINK he said (and believes).
And as far as "the movement's survival" (not sure what that means), it won't survive when no one ever stands together or has your back (and their first instinct is to blink and then run-away.....to "fight" another day). It's like watching "Groundhog Day," yet again.
Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.