President Trump just delivered a strong statement at a White House Press Conference denouncing in strong terms what he termed as horrific “racist violence” in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. He singled out White Supremacist groups, Neo-Nazis and KKK condemning them as “criminal thugs.”
He directly called them out by saying, “Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs including the KKK, neo-Nazis, White supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.”
He then finished off without mincing word by stating that, “Those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America,”
In his speech, the President paid tribute to the sole victim of the vehicle attack, 32-year old Heather Heyer, “Her death fills us with grief and we send her family our thoughts, our prayers and our love.”
He also paid tribute to the two Virginia State Troopers who died on Saturday when their Police helicopter crashed nearby in Charlottesville.
First responders at the scene of the accident after a car plowed into protesters at a Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on 12 August 2017. Credit: Joshua Roberts
Because of the many criticism and deliberate misinformation by some in the mainstream media of what he said he aid or didn’t say, President Trump then reiterated his statement over the weekend to indicate his commitment to fighting against bigotry and hate of any kind,
“As I said on Saturday, we condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence. It has no place in America. And as I have said many times before, no matter the color of our skin, we all live under the same laws. We all salute the same great flag. And we are all made by the same Almighty God. We must love each other, show affection for each other and unite together in condemnation of hatred, bigotry and violence.”
The President then noted that the Justice Department has opened a Civil Rights investigation into the deadly car attack which killed one woman and wounded 20 others promising that “Justice will be delivered.” He then issued a stern warning,
“To anyone who acted criminally in this weekend’s racist violence, you will be held fully accountable.”
James Alex Fields has been charged in the horrific intentional car attack in Charlottesville, Virginia on 12 August 2017. Credit: Albermale County Jail
This strong condemnation by Trump comes after days of criticism by the media and members of both parties who accused him of failing to name and disavow the hate groups. His initial statement over the weekend had decried the violence committed “on many sides” without directly identifying White supremacist groups.
Whether this stern rebuke and strong condemnation of racist groups by Trump will be enough to silence or satisfy his many detractors and critics who always find fault with everything his says, remains to be seen.
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