Trump and the 'Very Fine People' Who March with Neo-Nazis

There’s a reason why it was necessary for President Donald Trump to denounce specifically and unequivocally the white nationalists whose demonstration last weekend in Virginia became violent—not the “many sides” who were also protesting, or violence in general. It’s true there were left-wing counter-protesters who were also violent and antagonistic in Charlottesville. It’s true that political violence is wrong, no matter who perpetuates it. It’s true that the poisonous culture did not begin with Donald Trump’s entry into national politics.

But this is also true: White nationalists, neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and other racist groups who marched through the University of Virginia’s campus and in Charlottesville last weekend did so because they have been empowered by the presidency of Donald Trump. Don’t take my word for it. Look at the photos of those wearing “Make America Great Again” hats in Charlottesville. Listen to the words of arch-racist David Duke, who said his goal in attending the Charlottesville event was to “fulfill the promises of Donald Trump.” Remember that one of the rally’s organizers, chief alt-rightist Richard Spencer, once said his movement has a “psychic connection” with Trump. Scroll through the countless Twitter accounts with swastikas and racist memes posted in between or alongside statements of support for Trump’s candidacy and presidency.

Given all this, Trump has a duty—as the president of the United States, as the head of a major political party, as a decent American—to make clear that these people are mistaken, that white supremacists and neo-Nazis have nothing in common with Trump’s agenda or his vision for the country. It does no good to say, in the same breath, that “both sides” are a part of the problem. The problem is that one side, the violent, racist side, believes they have an ally in the White House. And they have increasingly good reason to think that.

Trump had failed to forcefully disavow racist groups like the KKK during the campaign, most notably when David Duke endorsed him. He had so far not done so as president, but the Charlottesville rally, which culminated in the violent death of a counter-protester by the act of a white supremacist, gave him the plum opportunity to right this wrong. He equivocated on Saturday with his initial statement, stating “many sides” were to blame for the violence. Eliana Johnson at Politico reported that this line was ad-libbed, a deviation from the prepared text that was “similar in tone and substance” to a follow-up statement Trump made Monday. That statement didspecifically call out the white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and KKK by name. It wasn’t perfect and it was done under duress, but Trump seemed to be moving toward saying the right thing.

But at a Trump Tower press conference, ostensibly to tout an infrastructure executive order, the president undid all this. A reporter asked why he waited so long—about two days after Saturday’s events—to denounce the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. Trump defended his initial statement on Saturday, calling it “fine” and saying multiple times he wanted to know the “facts” before saying too much. (Never mind that it was clear, from photos and video of the Charlottesville events on Friday and Saturday that participants were waving Nazi flags and chanting Nazi-adopted slogans.)