Media pundits have had no issue speaking their minds on President Trump's latest remarks on the violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, VA. The president was roundly criticized for his initial statement, where he failed to name the neo-Nazis by name, instead offering a vague condemnation of "all sides." Following the backlash, he stepped to a White House podium Monday to make himself clear that the white supremacists who organized the rally were to blame for the deadly carnage. However, when Trump addressed the incident for a third time at Trump Tower Tuesday, he seemed to backtrack to his initial response. "Both sides" are to blame for what transpired last weekend, he said.
“You had a group on one side and you had a group on the other, and they came at each other with clubs and it was vicious and it was horrible, and it was a horrible thing to watch,” the president told reporters at Trump Tower. “I think there’s blame on both sides. I have no doubt about it.”
This time, Trump drew ire from his own party. House Speaker Paul Ryan was concerned by the president's "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.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) August 15, 2017
GOP Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel corrected the president as to who is to blame for the violence.
"In Charlottesville, the blame lays squarely on the KKK and white supremacists." - RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel to @DavidMuir pic.twitter.com/5MUw2sA0ic
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 16, 2017
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) also tweeted that this should be a no brainer. He asked the president to correct his statement immediately.
Mr. President,you can't allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame.They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain 5/6
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 15, 2017
Others, however, believe Trump took the right tone Tuesday. After all, why shouldn't he call out violence from both the alt-right and the alt-left?
