The Telegram (St. John's)

‘Racism is evil’

Trump names hate groups, denouncing Charlottes­ville violence

- BY JONATHAN LEMIRE

Under relentless pressure, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday named and condemned “repugnant” hate groups and declared that “racism is evil” in a far more forceful statement than he’d made earlier after deadly, race-fueled weekend clashes in Charlottes­ville, Virginia.

Trump’s initial failure on Saturday to denounce the groups by name — instead he bemoaned violence on “many sides” — prompted criticism from fellow Republican­s as well as Democrats. This time, the president described members of the KKK, neo-nazis and white supremacis­ts who take part in violence as “criminals and thugs” in a prepared statement he read at the White House.

“Racism is evil,” he said, singling out the hate groups as “repugnant to everything that we hold dear as Americans.”

“Those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America,” he said.

In his remarks he also called for unity.

“We must love each other, show affection for each other and unite together in condemnati­on of hatred, bigotry and violence. We must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans,” he said.

Trump also, for the first time, mentioned Heather Heyer by name, as he paid tribute to the woman killed when a car plowed into a group of anti-racist counterpro­testers in Charlottes­ville.

The president left after his statement without acknowledg­ing reporters’ shouted questions. At an event on trade later in the day, he was asked why it took two days for him to offer an explicit denunciati­on of the hate groups.

“They have been condemned,” Trump responded before offering a fresh criticism of some media as “fake news.”

Trump noted that the Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigat­ion into the car crash that killed Heyer.

“To anyone who acted criminally in this weekend’s racist violence, you will be held fully accountabl­e. Justice will be delivered,” he said.

His attorney general, Jeff Sessions, said earlier Monday that the violence “does meet the definition of domestic terrorism in our statute.”

Sessions told ABC’S “Good Morning America,” ‘‘You can be sure we will charge and advance the investigat­ion toward the most serious charges that can be brought, because this is an unequivoca­lly unacceptab­le and evil attack that cannot be accepted in America.”

Trump gave his statement after meeting with Sessions and FBI Director Christophe­r Wray.

In the hours after the incident on Saturday, Trump addressed the violence in broad strokes, saying that he condemns “in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.”

That was met with swift bipartisan criticism.

Virginia Gov. Terry Mcauliffe, a Democrat, said he spoke to Trump in the hours after the clashes and twice told the president “we have to stop this hateful speech, this rhetoric.” He said he urged Trump ”to come out stronger” against the actions of white supremacis­ts.

Republican­s joined Democrats in criticizin­g the president for not specifical­ly calling out white nationalis­ts. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado said Sunday on NBC, “This isn’t a time for innuendo or to allow room to be read between the lines. This is a time to lay blame.”

The White House scrambled to stem the tide of criticism, dispatchin­g aides to the Sunday talk shows and sending out a statement that more forcefully denounced the hate groups.

But the White House did not attach a name to the statement. Usually, a statement would be signed by the press secretary or another staffer; not putting a name to one eliminates an individual’s responsibi­lity and often undercuts the significan­ce.

White nationalis­ts had assembled in Charlottes­ville to vent their frustratio­n against the city’s plans to take down a statue of Confederal Gen. Robert E. Lee. Counter-protesters massed in opposition.

Alt-right leader Richard Spencer and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke attended the demonstrat­ions. Duke told reporters that the white nationalis­ts were working to “fulfil the promises of Donald Trump.”

Trump’s initial comments drew praise from the neonazi website Daily Stormer, which wrote: “Trump comments were good. He didn’t attack us. He just said the nation should come together. Nothing specific against us . ... No condemnati­on at all.” The website had been promoting the Charlottes­ville demonstrat­ion as part of its “Summer of Hate” edition.

 ?? AP PHOTO ?? U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the White House in Washington Monday.
AP PHOTO U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the White House in Washington Monday.

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