The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tillerson cautious regarding defense of Trump on race
WASHINGTON — The White House on Sunday defended President Trump’s pardon of a former Arizona sheriff who had engaged in racial profiling, even as cracks began to appear within the administration over the president’s response to white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Va.
As the outcry over Trump’s leadership on race continued to mount, his secretary of state and a top homeland security advisor appeared to distance themselves from the president’s post-Charlottesville statements, in contrast to the full-throated defense most administration officials had previously offered.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” was asked about a United Nations panel’s recent criticism of the U.S. over its failure at the “highest political level” to “unequivocally reject and condemn … racist violent events.”
Tillerson said he did not believe “anyone doubts the American people’s values” with respect to combating racism. But pressed by interviewer Chris Wallace as to whether Trump shared those values, Tillerson replied: “The president speaks for himself.”
When Wallace queried him about whether he was separating himself from Trump’s views, Tillerson again demurred, saying “I have made my own comments” as to American values on race and racism.
The White House homeland security advisor, Tom Bossert, on Sunday also seemed to contradict the president’s contention that there had been “very fine people” marching among the white supremacists in Charlottesville.
Asked about that characterization, Bossert, appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” said, I’d ask you to ask the president for clarification.” Queried about his own opinion of those hurling racial invective while marching with Confederate banners, he said: “I don’t think anyone chanting those things is a ‘very fine person’ — period.”
He did defend the overall tenor of Trump’s remarks condemning racism, however.
“I can’t be clearer,” he said after repeatedly attempting to return the conversation to the administration’s response to the hurricane that hit Texas. “I think the administration’s been clear.”
Bossert played down the significance of Trump’s late-Friday pardon of Arpaio, who had been convicted of criminal contempt of court.
Bossert argued that pardoning Arpaio was “pretty straightforward” and “not something that is going to threaten our constitutional order.”