Trump criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for latest Charlottesville remarks
WASHINGTON- Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle took to Twitter Tuesday to express their disapproval of President Donald Trump’s suggestion that anti-racist counter-protestors and the white nationalists they confronted-are equally responsible for the violence that ensued last weekend in Charlottesville, Va.
We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) August 15, 2017
.@realDonaldTrump we heard you loud & clear. Ignoring the abhorrent evil of white supremacism is an attack on our American values. pic.twitter.com/UNmyAbmTsz
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 15, 2017
There's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate& bigotry. The President of the United States should say so
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 16, 2017
Great and good American presidents seek to unite not divide. Donald Trump’s remarks clearly show he is not one of them.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 15, 2017
Trump told reporters Tuesday: “You had a group on one side that was bad, and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent, and nobody wants to say that, but I’ll say it right now.”
Trump’s suggestion of a moral equivalency between white nationalists and anti-racist counter-protestors came just one day after he had denounced racist hate groups by name.
That denunciation was preceded by two days of intense criticism from civil rights groups as well as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who either said or suggested that Trump’s initial condemnation of Saturday’s event was insufficient.
Trump’s Saturday remarks appeared similar to what he had said on Tuesday:
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides.”
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
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