President Trump on Monday ducked questions about why it took him two days to directly condemn white supremacists for their violent acts at a weekend rally in Charlottesville, Va.

“They’ve been condemned. They have been condemned,” Trump said when asked to explain why he did not single out white nationalist groups over the weekend, when he blamed “many sides” for what happened at the rally.

Trump spoke at the White House after announcing an investigation into Chinese trade practices.

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The event came hours after the president declared that “racism is evil” in a brief statement and for the first time called out the KKK, neo-Nazis and other hate groups for their actions at the “Unite the Right” rally in the Virginia college town.

Demonstrators attending the rally and counterprotesters clashed repeatedly Saturday, and one woman died and at least 19 were injured when a car was driven into a group of counterprotesters. The alleged driver, 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

The president told reporters Friday that he would hold a “pretty big press conference” on Monday , but amid the fallout over his Charlottesville comments, no such event was scheduled.

CNN’s Jim Acosta asked Trump why he did not hold a press conference, to which the president replied, “We had a press conference. We just had a press conference,” even though none was held.



Acosta then asked whether reporters could ask him more questions.

“It doesn’t bother me at all, but I like real news, not fake news,” Trump said, pointing at Acosta. “You’re fake news.”

“Haven’t you spread a lot of fake news yourself, sir?” Acosta responded at the president exited the room.