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| Republicans denounce bigotry after Trump's latest Charlottesville remarks | Republicans denounce bigotry after Trump's latest Charlottesville remarks |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Some fellow Republicans criticized Donald Trump’s remarks on Tuesday, in which he returned to blaming “both sides” for the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, while others instead broadly denounced bigotry, signs of a possible rift among elected Republicans. | Some fellow Republicans criticized Donald Trump’s remarks on Tuesday, in which he returned to blaming “both sides” for the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, while others instead broadly denounced bigotry, signs of a possible rift among elected Republicans. |
| No elected officials went so far as to defend Trump outright after his comments, including his insistence that some of those participating in a “Unite the Right” protest against the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee in Charlottesville were not neo-Nazis or white supremacists. | No elected officials went so far as to defend Trump outright after his comments, including his insistence that some of those participating in a “Unite the Right” protest against the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee in Charlottesville were not neo-Nazis or white supremacists. |
| The divide between those willing to condemn Trump by name and those not mirrored the response to the president’s infamous comments on the Access Hollywood tape far more than other controversies that have swarmed around the president. | The divide between those willing to condemn Trump by name and those not mirrored the response to the president’s infamous comments on the Access Hollywood tape far more than other controversies that have swarmed around the president. |
| Top Republicans responded with fervent criticism to the extraordinary press conference, including the leaders of the campaign committees responsible for Republican re-election efforts in 2018. | Top Republicans responded with fervent criticism to the extraordinary press conference, including the leaders of the campaign committees responsible for Republican re-election efforts in 2018. |
| John McCain was among those calling on Trump by name to do more. The Arizona senator tweeted: “There’s no moral equivalency between racists and Americans standing up to defy hate and bigotry. The president of the United States should say so.” | |
| His sentiments were echoed by one of Trump’s rival Republican presidential candidates, Jeb Bush, who said in a statement: “This is a time for moral clarity, not ambivalence. I urge President Trump to unite the country, not parse the assignment of blame for the events in Charlottesville. | |
| “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.” | |
| Mitt Romney, the party’s nominee in 2012, said the president was wrong to point to blame “on many sides”, tweeting: “One side is racist, bigoted, Nazi. The other opposes racism and bigotry. Morally different universes.” | |
| Steve Stivers of Ohio, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is responsible for keeping Republican control of the House, vented in a statement: “I don’t understand what’s so hard about this. White supremacists and Neo-Nazis are evil and shouldn’t be defended.” | Steve Stivers of Ohio, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is responsible for keeping Republican control of the House, vented in a statement: “I don’t understand what’s so hard about this. White supremacists and Neo-Nazis are evil and shouldn’t be defended.” |
| His Senate counterpart, Cory Gardner of Colorado, said at a town hall of Trump: “What he did today goes back on what he said yesterday and that’s unacceptable. The president was wrong to do that.” | His Senate counterpart, Cory Gardner of Colorado, said at a town hall of Trump: “What he did today goes back on what he said yesterday and that’s unacceptable. The president was wrong to do that.” |
| Senator Marco Rubio of Florida also called out Trump, tweeting: “Mr. President, you can’t allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame. They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain.” | Senator Marco Rubio of Florida also called out Trump, tweeting: “Mr. President, you can’t allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame. They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain.” |
| Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas wrote in a statement: “As I said this weekend, white supremacy, bigotry and racism have absolutely no place in our society and no one – especially the President of the United States – should ever tolerate it. We must all come together as a country and denounce this hatred to the fullest extent.” | Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas wrote in a statement: “As I said this weekend, white supremacy, bigotry and racism have absolutely no place in our society and no one – especially the President of the United States – should ever tolerate it. We must all come together as a country and denounce this hatred to the fullest extent.” |
| Representative Pat Tiberi of Ohio tweeted: “POTUS deflected from the fact that a young woman was killed & others were injured by a bigoted follower of the white supremacist movement” and congressman Will Hurd of Texas went on CNN to say that Trump should apologize for his statements today. | Representative Pat Tiberi of Ohio tweeted: “POTUS deflected from the fact that a young woman was killed & others were injured by a bigoted follower of the white supremacist movement” and congressman Will Hurd of Texas went on CNN to say that Trump should apologize for his statements today. |
| These statements were joined by other ardent Republican critics of Trump on Capitol Hill, including libertarian Justin Amash of Michigan, who tweeted: “‘Very fine people’ do not participate in rallies with groups chanting racist and anti-Semitic slogans and displaying vile symbols of hate.” | These statements were joined by other ardent Republican critics of Trump on Capitol Hill, including libertarian Justin Amash of Michigan, who tweeted: “‘Very fine people’ do not participate in rallies with groups chanting racist and anti-Semitic slogans and displaying vile symbols of hate.” |
| Carlos Curbelo of Florida, a moderate, wrote on Twitter: “.@potus just doesn’t get it. No moral equivalence between manifestations for and against white supremacy. He’s got to stop.” Both elected Republicans pointedly declined to vote for Trump in 2016. | Carlos Curbelo of Florida, a moderate, wrote on Twitter: “.@potus just doesn’t get it. No moral equivalence between manifestations for and against white supremacy. He’s got to stop.” Both elected Republicans pointedly declined to vote for Trump in 2016. |
| Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, the leader of the moderate Tuesday group who also didn’t back Trump in 2016, shared this criticism. He tweeted “@POTUS must stop the moral equivalency! AGAIN, white supremacists were to blame for the violence in #Charlottesville.” | Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, the leader of the moderate Tuesday group who also didn’t back Trump in 2016, shared this criticism. He tweeted “@POTUS must stop the moral equivalency! AGAIN, white supremacists were to blame for the violence in #Charlottesville.” |
| However, many in Trump’s party restrained themselves from criticizing Trump by name. The two top Republicans in the House of Representatives both offered broad criticisms of bigotry. Speaker Paul Ryan said on Twitter: “We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.” | However, many in Trump’s party restrained themselves from criticizing Trump by name. The two top Republicans in the House of Representatives both offered broad criticisms of bigotry. Speaker Paul Ryan said on Twitter: “We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.” |
| We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity. | We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity. |
| While Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted: “Saturday’s violence and tragic loss of life was a direct consequence of the hateful rhetoric & action from white supremacists demonstrating.” | While Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted: “Saturday’s violence and tragic loss of life was a direct consequence of the hateful rhetoric & action from white supremacists demonstrating.” |
| In the past, Ryan has been critical of Trump, saying during the 2016 election that his comments on federal judge Gustavo Curiel were “the textbook definition of a racist comment”. But the Wisconsin Republican insisted he would still vote for Trump at the time. | In the past, Ryan has been critical of Trump, saying during the 2016 election that his comments on federal judge Gustavo Curiel were “the textbook definition of a racist comment”. But the Wisconsin Republican insisted he would still vote for Trump at the time. |
| Representative Lee Zeldin of New York went a bit farther, telling Newsday: “These two sides are not equal. They are different. I would add, though, that it is not right to suggest that President Trump is wrong for acknowledging the fact that criminals on both sides showed up for the purpose of being violent. That particular observation is completely true.” | Representative Lee Zeldin of New York went a bit farther, telling Newsday: “These two sides are not equal. They are different. I would add, though, that it is not right to suggest that President Trump is wrong for acknowledging the fact that criminals on both sides showed up for the purpose of being violent. That particular observation is completely true.” |
| There was one GOP defender of the president. Former professional pundit and RNC spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany took to Twitter to say: “President @realDonaldTrump once again denounced hate today. The GOP stands behind his message of love and inclusiveness!” | There was one GOP defender of the president. Former professional pundit and RNC spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany took to Twitter to say: “President @realDonaldTrump once again denounced hate today. The GOP stands behind his message of love and inclusiveness!” |