Trump Speaks On Charlottesville Rally: We Condemn Hate ‘On Many Sides’

President Donald Trump walks up to the podium to speak to members of the media regarding the on going situation in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017 in Bedminister, N.J. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
President Donald Trump walks up to the podium to speak regarding the on going situation in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017 in Bedminister, N.J. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Trump said he condemns hate “on many sides” after violent clashes at a white nationalist rally Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia left one dead and at least 19 injured.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides,” Trump said in a brief statement. “It has been going on for a long time in our country – not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. It has been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America.”

In his remarks, Trump failed to mention the white nationalists who planned the rally to protest Charlottesville’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park.

“What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives,” Trump said. “No citizen should ever fear for their safety and security in our society. And no child should ever be afraid to go outside and play or be with their parents and have a good time.”

Trump said he spoke with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and they “agreed that the hate and division must stop.” McAuliffe declared a state of emergency after hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other at the rally.

He concluded his statement by saying, “We have to heal the wounds of our country.”

Trump tweeted earlier in the day that “there is no place for this kind of violence in America.”

Minutes before Trump spoke, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement saying he “stands united behind the President condemning the violence in Charlottesville.”

 

However, several Republican senators have come forward in criticizing the President for not calling out the rally’s organizers as white supremacists.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence ̶o̶n̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶y̶ sides,

    One side you ignorant racist fuck
    One side

  2. Sounds different compared to his response to the last time someone ran a car into a crowd of people… i wonder why.
    fucking terrorist supporting fucker.

  3. Avatar for ajoguy ajoguy says:

    Our progenitor of hate speaks.

  4. Yes we never would have heard the end of it if a brown person did it or someone with one of them ferign sounding names

  5. Avatar for dave48 dave48 says:

    Trump/Alt-Right logic: When a white racist launches an attack on peaceful protesters then there’s plenty of blame to go around and we should all feel ashamed. When it’s a Muslim that launches the attack, then it’s the fault of the Muslims (and Mexicans as well for some reason).

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

206 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ghost Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for jep07 Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for jurisgal Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for left_in_washington_state Avatar for geofu54 Avatar for karlsgems Avatar for twowolves Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for darrtown Avatar for tena Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for spencersmom Avatar for caltg Avatar for tiowally Avatar for socalista Avatar for pike_bishop Avatar for dannysgrandma Avatar for pauldownard Avatar for ohcomeonnow Avatar for edgewise

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: