Trump stance on Charlottesville violence angers Republicans
Leading figures in Donald Trump's Republican party have reacted angrily to his latest comments blaming both sides for the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday
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The right-wing march had been organised to protest against the proposed
removal of a statue of Gen Robert E Lee, who commanded the pro-slavery
Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The event drew white
supremacy groups.
Violence broke out after they were confronted by anti-fascism groups. A BBC
correspondent at
the scene described how members of the so-called "alt-right"
openly carried rifles and were dressed in full tactical gear. Their leftist
rivals threw bottles, rocks and paint. Pepper spray was used by both sides.
For some top Republicans lately, Donald Trump is He Who Cannot Be Named.
They find it easy to condemn white supremacists and the hate that motivated
the violence in Charlottesville, but when it comes time to single the president
out for blame - up to and including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan - the
criticism becomes oblique and the condemnation implied.
Administration officials are treading even more carefully. Chief of Staff
John Kelly may have repeatedly winced on Tuesday, but he's back on the job
today. Gary Cohn, the president's senior-most economic adviser, reportedly told
friends he was "disgusted" by the president's actions - but not so
much that he would speak out on the record.
Perhaps some Republicans - with an eye on polls showing his support among
the party faithful largely holding strong - are reluctant to draw the ire of a
president known to keep close tabs on his friends and foes.
While outrage over the president's response to Charlottesville has reached a
frenzied pitch, storms like this have erupted before and moved on, leaving Mr
Trump still standing.
"This too shall pass" isn't always a balm for the distraught. It
can also be a warning.
I think there is blame on both sides," Mr Trump told reporters at a tense press conference at Trump Tower in New York."You
had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side
that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say that. I'll say it right
now."
"What about the alt-left that came charging... at the, as you say, the alt-right? Do they have any semblance of guilt? (...) There are two sides to a story," Mr Trump said in response to one reporter
"What about the alt-left that came charging... at the, as you say, the alt-right? Do they have any semblance of guilt? (...) There are two sides to a story," Mr Trump said in response to one reporter
He condemned the driver of a car that ploughed into one group of
anti-racism protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring
19 others.
But he said that those who had marched in defence of the statue had included "many fine people"; and he asked whether statues of former presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson should also be torn down, because they had been slave-owners.
His comments were said to have caught senior White House officials off guard. One official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told CNN it had been agreed that Mr Trump would talk only about infrastructure, which was the reason for the news conference
But he said that those who had marched in defence of the statue had included "many fine people"; and he asked whether statues of former presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson should also be torn down, because they had been slave-owners.
His comments were said to have caught senior White House officials off guard. One official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told CNN it had been agreed that Mr Trump would talk only about infrastructure, which was the reason for the news conference
The Associated Press reported
that as Mr Trump spoke, new chief of staff John Kelly barely glanced at
the president, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to make eye
contact with other top aides, and one young staffer stood with her
mouth agape.
Following the news conference, the White House sent a set official talking points to Republican congressmen, urging them to say Mr Trump was "entirely correct" in his latest remarks on Charlottesville, US media have reported.
"Despite the criticism, the President reaffirmed some of our most important Founding principles: We are equal in the eyes of our Creator, equal under the law, and equal under our Constitution," a bullet point read.
Following the news conference, the White House sent a set official talking points to Republican congressmen, urging them to say Mr Trump was "entirely correct" in his latest remarks on Charlottesville, US media have reported.
"Despite the criticism, the President reaffirmed some of our most important Founding principles: We are equal in the eyes of our Creator, equal under the law, and equal under our Constitution," a bullet point read.
Mr Trump's remarks were welcomed by David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, who tweeted: "Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth about #Charlottesville & condemn the leftist terrorists in BLM/Antifa."
But many others strongly condemned the comments.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday it was important to condemn far-right views "wherever we hear them".
"I see no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them," she said.
Of the reactions of some 55 Republican and Democrat politicians collected by the Washington Post, only the spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, Kayleigh McEnany, expressed her support.
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