How Politicians In America And Abroad Responded To The Racist Violence In Charlottesville
President Donald Trump's response to violent protests by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend left a lot to be desired. Trump attributed the violence to "many sides" and declined to specifically condemn either the man who killed a woman when he plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protestors, or white nationalists in general.
Other officials, both at home and abroad, had the common sense and decency to call out an obvious act of racist terrorism. Here's how major politicians responded to the violence in Charlottesville.
Barack Obama
Former president Barack Obama quoted Nelson Mandela in a series of tweets on Saturday.
Joe Biden
Former vice president Joe Biden wrote that "racism and hate have no place" in America.
Hillary Clinton
Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton implicitly called out Trump for his rhetoric amounting to an "incitement of hatred."
Mitch McConnell
The Senate majority leader called out "hate and bigotry" without specifically naming white supremacist groups.
Paul Ryan
The Speaker of the House called white supremacy "a scourge."
Jeff Sessions
In an interview on "Good Morning America," Attorney General Jeff Sessions (who once joked that he thought the KKK was OK until he found out they smoked marijuana) called the car attack "unacceptable" and "evil."
"You can be sure we will charge and advance the investigation towards the most serious charges that can be brought, because this is unequivocally an unacceptable, evil attack," he said. "Terrorism investigators from the FBI are working on the case as well as civil rights division FBI agents."
[ABC News]
Ted Cruz
Former Republican presidential candidate and Texas Senator Ted Cruz released a statement calling white supremacists "repulsive and evil," calling for the Department of Justice "to immediately investigate and prosecute this grotesque act of domestic terrorism."
Marco Rubio
Former Republican presidential candidate and Florida Senator Marco Rubio called out Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists by name.
Jeb Bush
Former Republican presidential candidate and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush asserted that white supremacists "do not represent our great country."
Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent his condolences to the victims of violence in Charlottesville and wrote that Canada "isn't immune to racist violence."
Angela Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, via a spokesman, called the white supremacist gathering "disgusting."
"The scenes at the right-wing extremist march were absolutely repulsive — naked racism, anti-Semitism and hate in their most evil form were on display," Siebert said.
"Such images and chants are disgusting wherever they may be and they are diametrically opposed to the political goals of the chancellor and the entire German government," he added.
[The Hill]
There you have it: Literally everyone gave more presidential-sounding statements on Charlottesville than the actual president.