Posted on 08/15/2017 7:13:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
President Donald Trump sparked a barrage of Republican outrage on Tuesday after he blamed “both sides” for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia — including from House Speaker Paul Ryan.
“We must be clear,” Ryan said after Trump’s remarks. “White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said on Twitter, “Mr. President, you can't allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame.” Added Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.): “This is simple: we must condemn and marginalize white supremacist groups, not encourage and embolden them.”
Many other Republicans also slammed the remarks Trump made at a news conference in New York in which he doubled down on his initial reaction to the violence that broke out over the weekend at a white supremacist rally where one woman was killed when a car rammed into counter-protesters.
“I think there’s blame on both sides,” Trump told reporters Tuesday at Trump Tower. “I have no doubt about it.”
Republicans have often been critical of Trump in the past, but the rebuke from members of his own party to his Charlottesville response was swifter and more widespread than perhaps at any point in his presidency
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), now in rehabilitation after being shot during a June congressional baseball practice, responded on Twitter: “I was clear about this bigotry & violence over the weekend and I'll repeat it today: We must defeat white supremacy and all forms of hatred.”
Also on Twitter, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) said: “@POTUS must stop the moral equivalency! AGAIN, white supremacists were to blame for the violence in #Charlottesville.”
And Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) added: “We are Americans from all walks of life, working towards the American Dream. Nowhere in that dream is there room for racism.”
A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Kentucky Republican had no new comment in response to Trump’s remarks Tuesday.
Democrats also responded with outrage.
In a statement, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that by not taking sides, Trump had clearly shown what side he’s on.
“When David Duke and white supremacists cheer your remarks, you’re doing it very, very wrong,” Schumer said. “Great and good American presidents seek to unite, not divide. Donald Trump’s remarks clearly show he is not one of them.”
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said on Twitter that Trump is “not my president.”
“As a Jew, as an American, as a human,” he wrote, “words cannot express my disgust and disappointment.”
[Doesn’t it trouble you that David Duke is endorsing Trump’s latest comments?]
Grow a spine, Trump has no control over that.
Because the GOP are COWARDS.
If he’s agreeing with you you might want to reconsider your position.
More traitorous @ssholes to go after in the primaries. I hate them all.
No
I don’t follow David Duke.
Little Marco “Bubbles” Rubio.
You may not like what they said or what they stand for, but those people had a right speak. If these members of congress can’t deal with that, then they should resign from congress now.
Attention Ryan: shut up. You’re making a fool of yourself, to put it mildly. Trump said “we condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred bigotry and violence on many sides”. Ryan’s position appears to be that hatred bigotry and violence is ok, depending on who commits it. True to form Ryan never misses a chance to stick it to Trump. Ryan - Boehner 2 - embodies all that is wrong with the Republican party.
Even if they had, it would not matter much...
The leftards always think they have Trump on the ropes, and they’re always wrong. It’s so much fun to watch LOL!!!!
Were you dropped on your head as a child?
Anyone can endorse anyone, perhaps even for sabotage purposes.
You’re a genius.
“If he’s agreeing with you you might want to reconsider your position.”
By your logic one should always change positions when a bigot is in agreement. For example, if David Duke should agree with your “God bless America,” you must knee-jerk and say “God damn America”.
Never heard of Brian PeeSchatz, dumb ass, Hawaii, but if he is ever beheaded by a muzzie the needle on my give-a-crap meter will not budge.
I hate these goddamned people.
Doesn’t it trouble you that the US Communist Party endorsed Obama for president, twice?
The side that showed up wearing masks and carrying baseball bats must NOT get any of the blame!!!!
They are all 100% wrong.
Trump is NOT letting the White Supremacists off the hook.
They, these coward GOPers, are falling in with the media narrative of trying to let the Antifa groups off the hook. They, these GOP cowards are trying to embolden the Antifa groups.
The White Supremacist groups had a permit. The Antifa groups did not. The White Supremacists went to make their statement. The Antifa groups went there to provoke violence with the White Supremacist group.
How is it that these GOP cowards talk their trash with a straight face.
[If he’s agreeing with you you might want to reconsider your position.]
Yes. The best way is to constantly run scared that some lunatic might agree with you that its a nice day outside whether he’s sandbagging you or not.
Oh and do you honestly think the media gives a damn either way about it? Its simply a convenient bludgeon they can use.
This is when rationality is completely abandoned and mob rule and groupthink hysteria takes over. We are witnessing that in its full glory now.
The country has gone insane.
They don’t condemn violent communists and racists? We can’t equate KKK and antifa?
Ryan is a PC Democrat in everything but name.
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