Republicans Condemn Trump's Latest Charlottesville Remarks: 'Stop the Moral Equivalency'
Republicans spoke out on Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on Saturday’s white supremacist march in Charlottesville in which he said “both sides” were to blame for the violent clashes that left one anti-racism protester dead.
“Mr. President, you can’t allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame. They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said on Twitter, adding that white supremacist groups are “100% to blame” for an attack on a crowd of counter-protesters that killed one woman and injured 19 others. “The #WhiteSupremacy groups will see being assigned only 50% of blame as a win. We can not allow this old evil to be resurrected.”
The organizers of events which inspired & led to #charlottesvilleterroristattack are 100% to blame for a number of reasons. 1/6
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 15, 2017
In his remarks during a Tuesday press conference in Trump Tower, the President doubled down on his original response to Charlottesville, asking why anti-racism protesters, who he called the “alt-left,” were not receiving any blame. “You had a group on one side that was bad, and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent, and nobody wants to say that, but I’ll say it right now,” Trump said. The comments drew praise from white supremacists and condemnation from politicians in both parties.
Many GOP leaders did not address Trump directly or by name, but spoke out against white supremacy and any suggestions of “moral equivalency” between supremacist groups and their opponents.
We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) August 15, 2017
I don't understand what's so hard about this. White supremacists and Neo-Nazis are evil and shouldn't be defended.
— Steve Stivers (@RepSteveStivers) August 15, 2017
Let's get real. pic.twitter.com/vM8gJ8lWrc
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) August 15, 2017
The response to this ideology of hate & bigotry, & the act of domestic terrorism, should be simple & united condemnation without ambiguity.
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) August 15, 2017
@POTUS must stop the moral equivalency! AGAIN, white supremacists were to blame for the violence in #Charlottesville.
— Rep. Charlie Dent (@RepCharlieDent) August 15, 2017
"Very fine people" do not participate in rallies with groups chanting racist and anti-Semitic slogans and displaying vile symbols of hate.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) August 15, 2017
This is simple: we must condemn and marginalize white supremacist groups, not encourage and embolden them.
— Senator Todd Young (@SenToddYoung) August 15, 2017
We can't accept excuses for white supremacy & acts of domestic terrorism. We must condemn. Period.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 15, 2017
Blaming "both sides" for #Charlottesville?! No. Back to relativism when dealing with KKK, Nazi sympathizers, white supremacists? Just no.
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) August 15, 2017
I urge @POTUS to unite the country, not parse the assignment of blame for the events in Charlottesville. 2/3
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) August 16, 2017
For the sake of our country, he must leave no room for doubt that racism and hatred will not be tolerated or ignored by his White House 3/3
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) August 16, 2017
.@SenCoryGardner: "what he did today again goes back on what he said yesterday. And that’s unacceptable. The President was wrong to do that"
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 15, 2017
No, not the same. One side is racist, bigoted, Nazi. The other opposes racism and bigotry. Morally different universes.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) August 16, 2017