In a statement to reporters in Washington, D.C., on Monday, President Donald Trump condemned the actions of hate groups responsible for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend.
“Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists,” he said.
Trump was criticized over the weekend for his initial response to the violence, which didn’t call out white supremacists by name, but rather condemned “many sides” for the weekend’s events in which three died. White supremacist groups took his remarks as a sign of support for their cause. “Trump comments were good,” a post on the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer read. “He didn’t attack us. He just said the nation should come together. Nothing specific against us.”
Trump’s statement on Monday, which began with self-praise over the state of the economy, still arrived too late for some. “At this point if Trump does finally condemn white supremacists in Charlottesville it will be political calculation, not moral leadership,” Representative Don Beyer (D-Virginia), wrote on Twitter this morning.
At this point if Trump does finally condemn white supremacists in Charlottesville it will be political calculation, not moral leadership. https://t.co/YeR31dkVdr
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) August 14, 2017
