President Donald Trump has been slammed on Twitter for his response statement and following condolence tweet to the victim of recent Charlottesville violence. He has been receiving negative press for not identifying the perpetrator as “white supremacist.”
Trump condemns the violence “on many sides”
Speaking at his New Jersey golf club, Trump responded to the violent protests with the following statement:
We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides. – Donald trump
“It has been going on for a long time in our country — not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. It has been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America,” continued the President.
His statement has come under scrutiny from many because of the “many sides” part, as it was a white supremacist who initiated the violence.
Trump has also been receiving criticism on Twitter for not responding strongly to the vile incident.
Many politicians, including republicans, have urged Trump to address the situation properly. Colorado senator Cory Gardner wrote on Twitter, “Mr President — we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism.”
Senator Orrin Hatch, the longest serving Republican senator in US politics, tweeted, “We should call evil by its name. My brother didn’t give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home.”
Charlottesville suspect identified as 20yo James Alex Fields Jr.
At least one person has been killed and more than 19 injured after Ohio native James Alex Fields Jr. rammed his car onto a crowd of protesters who were there to oppose a “Unite the Right” rally organized by white supremacists.
Fields was taken into custody shortly after the incident. A 32-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, was killed in the crash while she was crossing the street.