Republican senators on Saturday and Sunday condemned violence that broke out at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, leaving three people dead and dozens of people injured.
James Alex Fields, Jr. was charged Saturday with second-degree murder and other counts after he rammed a car into a crowd of protesters, killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring dozens of people. Two state troopers were killed when a police helicopter crashed into the woods.
Senate Republicans fell into three broad categories: those who condemned the violence in general terms, those who went further and specifically condemned the white supremacist movements behind the rally and those who did so and also called on President Donald Trump to do the same.
“Hate and bigotry”
The hate and bigotry witnessed in #Charlottesville does not reflect American values. I wholeheartedly oppose their actions.
— Leader McConnell (@SenateMajLdr) August 12, 2017
Saddened by the events in #Charlottesville. Violence and hatred are not the American way. Prayers for the victims.
— Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) August 13, 2017
No place for the bigotry & hate-filled violence in #Charlottesville. These actions should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) August 13, 2017
The violence in Charlottesville is domestic terrorism. Hatred, racism, and bigotry have no place in our country.
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) August 13, 2017
I don't know this person & condemn the outrageous racism, hatred and violence. It's unacceptable & shameful. No room for it in this country. https://t.co/6yQqKZRowb
— Dean Heller (@SenDeanHeller) August 13, 2017
Our hearts break for the loss of life today in Charlottesville. There is no place for such violence.
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) August 13, 2017
The violence we've witnessed today is not who we are as a country. Our thoughts go out all law enforcement working hard to keep the peace.
— David Perdue (@sendavidperdue) August 12, 2017
The violence in #Charlottesville that is fueled by racist hatred has no place in our society. (1/2)
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) August 12, 2017
We are one nation, under God, and indivisible. We cannot stand for this terrorism. (2/2) https://t.co/kCm6xs7Ln9
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) August 12, 2017
Violence and hatred are never the answer. https://t.co/riTwWrHYB5
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) August 12, 2017
We are all Americans and we should act like it.
— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) August 12, 2017
We must ALL condemn domestic terror&stand together against racism, hate and evils that if left unchecked will tear us apart #Charlottesville
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) August 12, 2017
Domestic terror in #Charlottesville must be condemned by https://t.co/3gbI2ZFxr5. Otherwise hate is simply emboldened.
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) August 12, 2017
The hate and violence in #Charlottesville have no place in America
— Senator Roy Blunt (@RoyBlunt) August 12, 2017
The hatred & ignorance displayed by the violent & pathetic group in #charlottsville is unacceptable. Their values are not American values.
— Pat Roberts (@SenPatRoberts) August 12, 2017
We must stand together to condemn racism & violence. We are the American family, and will not be divided by hate. #Charlottesville
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) August 12, 2017
The racism, hate and violence seen in #Charlottesville are vile and unacceptable.
— Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) August 12, 2017
We stand united against the violence and hatred in #Charlottesville and pray for the victims of the attacks.
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) August 12, 2017
I am deeply saddened by the hatred being displayed in Charlottesville. It is unacceptable. We must work together to unite our nation.
— Inhofe Press Office (@InhofePress) August 12, 2017
The supremacy of any race over another is not only immoral, it's contradictory to our Constitution and the idea of America.
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) August 12, 2017
The violence & hatred in #Charlottesville is unacceptable. Bigotry has no place in our society. We solve our problems by working together.
— Senator John Boozman (@JohnBoozman) August 12, 2017
What's going on in #Charlottesville is deeply troubling. We should never tolerate hatred & bigotry.
— SenDanSullivan (@SenDanSullivan) August 12, 2017
The hatred, violence & racism displayed in Charlottesville, VA have no place in our society. We must show civility & respect to one another.
— Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) August 12, 2017
Acts of hate and violence like what we're seeing in #Charlottesville have no place in our country.
— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) August 12, 2017
The hate and bigotry occurring in #Charlottesville is disgusting and unnacceptable to the American people. America is better than this.
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) August 12, 2017
The hate, bigotry and violence on display in #Charlottesville is despicable and represents the complete opposite of what America stands for.
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) August 12, 2017
I strongly condemn the hatred and violence in Charlottesville. This type of of vile bigotry and hate is not what our country stands for.
— Johnny Isakson (@SenatorIsakson) August 12, 2017
Racism, hatred, and violence as a means to an end is unacceptable and shameful. There's no room for it in this country. #Charlottesville
— Dean Heller (@SenDeanHeller) August 12, 2017
The love & compassion I see from Hoosiers daily is stronger than the fringe hatred on display in #Charlottesville. The former will prevail.
— Senator Todd Young (@SenToddYoung) August 12, 2017
This is bigotry. This is racism. These are views we as the American people should reject.
— Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) August 12, 2017
“Nazi ideas”
We should call evil by its name. My brother didn't give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home. -OGH
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) August 12, 2017
My statement on the violence in Charlottesville: https://t.co/0xowWIZ4Hb pic.twitter.com/50mptAz2Pv
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) August 13, 2017
White supremacists aren't patriots, they're traitors- Americans must unite against hatred & bigotry #Charlottesville https://t.co/Zr1Jg9jBXu
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 12, 2017
The tragedy in Charlottesville this afternoon was domestic terrorism. We must all condemn hatred and white nationalism.
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) August 12, 2017
Very important for the nation to hear @potus describe events in #Charlottesville for what they are, a terror attack by #whitesupremacists
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 12, 2017
What " WhiteNatjonalist" are doing in Charlottesville is homegrown terrorism that can't be tolerated anymore that what Any extremist does
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 12, 2017
The #WhiteSupremacy in #Charlottesville does not reflect the values of the America I know. Hate and bigotry have no place in this country.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 12, 2017
…and:
Mr. President – we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism. https://t.co/PaPNiPPAoW
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) August 12, 2017
Hurry up, GOP’ers, the political winds have shifted…
With a few notable exceptions, this is just more examples of patented GOP: Special Victims Unit boilerplate. In fact it’s hard to tell if they are more cowardly or merely pathetic.
“Course, we gotta condemn that. Hell, maybe some of us even believe that Nazis and white supremacists are bad for the country. But if we’re going to destroy the social safety net, rape and pillage the environment, depress voter turnout, roll back civil rights, reproductive rights, LGBT rights and otherwise fuck over people, we’re gonna need cover.”
I don’t know what to take from the articles I’ve seen around the web lauding or at least listing the Republicans who denounced Nazi and white sepremecist marchers inciting violence, yet I’ve seen so few about Democrats doing so.
Democrats spend all day every day fighting against this crap, while the GOP dog whistles the hell out of to signal they’re OK with it. But when white pride violence happens the GOP gets the press for denouncing it.
The number of them not willing to call out who they mean when they say ‘racism’ and ‘bigotry’ is disturbing. It should seem obvious and that’s the excuse they’ll use, but it’s no secret these groups like to call their opponents the ‘real racists’. Not being explicit leaves the wiggle room for everyone to hear what they want.
However some of the statements that do are truly fantastic. Never would have thought tom cotton could put out a statement that good. I’m glad at least some of them are recognizing that playing the game they’ve played with these turds isn’t worth the short term electoral benefits.