Trump Blames ‘Both Sides’ For Charlottesville — Again
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President Donald Trump on Thursday stood by his belief that both sides were to blame for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12 between white supremacists and counterprotesters.
Trump had drawn criticism for not initially condemning white supremacists who organized the event with even some of his fellow Republicans expressing dismay at his opinion.
Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One a day after a meeting with South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott, an African-American who had expressed concern about Trump’s comments.
“We had a great talk yesterday,” he said of his meeting with Scott. “I think especially in the light of the advent of antifa, if you look at what’s going on there. You have some pretty bad dudes on the other side also. And essentially that’s what I said.”
Trump said anti-fascist groups known as the “antifa” must share blame for neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan fighting with anti-racism protesters in the streets. One woman was killed when a suspected white nationalist crashed his car into demonstrators.
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