Trump’s comments on violence initiated by white supremacists causes outrage; KKK man hails it
US President in eye of political storm after he blamed both sides for violent rally
Donald Trump found himself in the eye of a political storm on Wednesday after his stunning remarks on the unrest in Charlottesville, which sparked unease within his own camp and could be a turning point in his already chaotic presidency.
Just about 200 days into his term, the US leader crossed a red line in saying there was “blame on both sides” for the melee, which began when a rally by white supremacists over the removal of a Confederate statue turned violent, as they clashed with counter-protesters.
The violent fracas in the Virginia town ended in tragedy when a 20-year-old suspected Nazi sympathiser, James Fields, plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters, leaving one woman dead and 19 others injured.
His defiant statements, delivered in a caustic way at the Trump Tower and hailed by a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan for their “courage,” left many Republicans and Democrats speechless.
Many observers were left with the impression that the unscripted Mr Trump of Tuesday was the real Trump — rather than the man who delivered a more measured statement from the White House on Monday in which he firmly denounced racism.
Republican lawmakers did not line up to defend the real estate mogulturned-president, as they have repeatedly done since he took office in January. Those who did speak criticised him.
“In Charlottesville, the blame lays squarely on the KKK and white supremacists,” the leader of the Republican National Committee, Ronna Romney McDaniel, said. “He has to fix this and Republicans have to speak out. Plain and simple,” Ohio governor John Kasich, who battled Mr Trump for the Republican presidential nomination last year, told NBC’s “Today” show. “He needs to listen to the people before he takes this presidency in a place that is not acceptable for our country.”
I think there is blame on both sides. You had a group on one side that was bad, and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent. — Donald Trump, US President
He (Trump) has to fix this and Republicans have to speak out. Plain and simple. He needs to listen to the people as this is not acceptable for our country.
— John Kasich, Ohio governor