Trump's Fuzzy History Of Denouncing White Nationalism
It isn't remarkable for a president to denounce racism, particularly after a white nationalist rally that turned deadly. But the timing of President Trump's comments on Monday, rebuking racist groups for their participation in Saturday's violent protests in Charlottesville, Va., was newsworthy.
"Racism is evil," Trump said. "And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans."
In his initial response to the tragedy, Trump condemned violence "on many sides," flattening the differences between the rallygoers and counterprotesters, drawing sharp criticism from many corners — including members of his own party.
The path to Trump's Monday statement is the latest in a line of Trump's decidedly fuzzy responses to racist groups. While Trump seemed more willing to distance himself from racist groups long before his political career, the past decade has shown a man apparently ambivalent about consistently drawing a clear line between himself and groups that espouse racist ideologies.
Before Trump became a politician
Trump's rhetoric well
