Trump tells hate group to 'stand down'

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump yesterday said yesterday the ‘‘Proud Boys,’’ an organisation identified as a hate group, should ‘‘stand down’’ and let law enforcement take the lead, after comments he made in the first presidential debate were viewed as emboldening the group.

‘‘I don’t know who the Proud Boys are,’’ the Republican president told reporters at the White House before leaving for a campaign event. ‘‘They have to stand down. Let law enforcement do their work.’’

During his debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday, Trump was asked if he was willing to denounce ‘‘white supremacists and militia groups’’ and tell them to stand down amid violence that has marred antiracism protests in some US cities.

Trump requested a name and Biden mentioned the Proud Boys, an organisation that calls itself a club of ‘‘Western chauvinists’’ but has been categorised as a hate group by the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Centre.

‘‘Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,’’ Trump said.

‘‘But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa,’’ he added, meaning the largely unstructured antifascist movement that aims to confront those it views as authoritarian or racist.

Extremism experts warned the president’s response could embolden Proud Boys supporters.

The comment drew wide criticism and many saw it as a sign of encouragement to the group.

Republican US Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is black, said Trump misspoke and called on him to correct his words.

Asked yesterday about denouncing white supremacist groups, Trump said he had always done so.

The president has a long history of making comments that his critics view as racist or as supportive of racist groups.

In 2017, he said ‘‘both sides’’ were to blame for violence between white supremacists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Trump also called on Biden to condemn antifa. — Reuters