Alt-right rallies in Charlottesville, VA

[GMDino]

And finally...


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/08/14/white-house-response-to-charlottesville/564199001/

Quote:President Trump condemns white supremacists after Charlottesville violence


Three days after white supremacists and counter protesters clashed in the streets of Charlottesville, Va, President Trump declared Monday that "racism is evil" and announced that the Justice Department will open a civil rights investigation into the deadly car attack that left one woman dead. 

"Justice will be delivered," he said after returning to the White House to meet with top federal law enforcement officials.

Specifically citing the KKK, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists, Trump said such groups are "repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans." He denounced those who carry out violent acts in the name of racism as "criminals and thugs." 

Trump's remarks came after an avalanche of criticism for his initial response on Saturday, in which he blamed the Charlottesville violence on "many sides" – without directly condemning white supremacists rallying to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that officials had declared an unlawful assembly.


Trump's meeting with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and newly confirmed FBI Director Chris Wray came just hours after the attorney general said the Charlottesville car attack does meet the definition of domestic terrorism and warrants a federal investigation.

A 20-year-old Ohio man James Alex Fields Jr., 20, has been charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of hit and run after driving a car into a crowd of people protesting a white supremacist demonstration in the city where the University of Virginia is located. The crash killed one woman and wounded 19 others. 

"You can be sure we will charge and advance the investigation toward the most serious charges that can be brought because this is unequivocally an unacceptable evil attack," Sessions said earlier Monday on ABC's Good Morning America.

After Trump's initial statement that did not condemn white nationalists, numerous Republicans and others called on Trump be more forceful. "Mr. President - we must call evil by its name," tweeted Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo. "These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism." 

On Sunday, one day after the deadly car crash, the White House offered reporters a statement in response to questions about Trump's comments.  

"The President said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred," the statement said. "Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups. He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together." 

The statement, which was not attributed to any specific person or the president, did little to quell questions about Trump's initial statement. 

Finally.