When presented with two versions of the controversy surrounding Larry Summers and his comments about women scientists and engineers, however, liberals and females were more likely to say that he should have faced negative consequences for his statement when presented with his apology.
The evidence suggests that when a prominent figure apologizes for a controversial statement, individuals are either unaffected or become more likely to desire that the individual be punished.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-public-policy/article/does-apologizing-work-an-empirical-test-of-the-conventional-wisdom/D34F1D89E6FF6A6E32C22C75F0C5FE24