Lawmakers slam Trump's latest defense of Charlottesville response

Eliza Collins | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump: Both sides to blame for Charlottesville President Trump said Tuesday the groups protesting against white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, were also very violent. He called those protesters the alt-left, and says there is "blame on both sides" after the deadly violence.

Lawmakers in both parties criticized President Trump’s latest comments on the deadly violence over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va., after he doubled down on blaming “many sides” for the violence that occurred at a white nationalist rally.

"What about the alt-left?" Trump said Tuesday during a press conference. "They came charging ... that was a horrible day."

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said there "can be no moral ambiguity" on naming bigotry.

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

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., who was badly injured in a shooting targeting GOP members of Congress earlier this summer, brought back up his comments from over the weekend.

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. https://t.co/iOaVvE8txs — Rep. Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) August 15, 2017

"Blaming 'both sides' for #Charlottesville?! No. Back to relativism when dealing with KKK, Nazi sympathizers, white supremacists? Just no,” Rep. IIeana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., tweeted moments after the press conference wrapped up.

Blaming "both sides" for #Charlottesville?! No. Back to relativism when dealing with KKK, Nazi sympathizers, white supremacists? Just no. — Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) August 15, 2017

Over the weekend, a white supremacist rally erupted into violence, leaving three people dead and many injured. Lawmakers in both parties condemned the white supremacists who took over the town, but the president took more than two days before he named the groups specifically. Trump on Saturday blamed “many sides” for the violence.

On Tuesday, Trump said his Saturday statement was "a fine statement" and he had waited for facts before he gave specifics.

I am “absolutely not” proud of how Trump handled the situation, Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, said on CNN.

“If you’re showing up to a Klan rally, you’re probably a racist or a bigot and saying anything other … it’s not OK, this is unacceptable, and for those watching I think the outrage across the political spectrum about this is maybe the thing that ultimately unites us,” said Hurd, who is half-black.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a member of Senate leadership, tweeted that it was “a good time to re-up" remarks he made Monday on brother's death during World War II.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., posted a series of tweets emphasizing the "evil ideology" of the groups responsible for the Charlottesville event.

The organizers of events which inspired & led to #charlottesvilleterroristattack are 100% to blame for a number of reasons. 1/6 — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 15, 2017

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

The #WhiteSupremacy groups will see being assigned only 50% of blame as a win.We can not allow this old evil to be resurrected 6/6 — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 15, 2017

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, one of Trump's rivals for the Republican nomination rejected the notion of "moral equivalency to Nazi sympathizers."

Rep. Charlie Dent, a moderate Republican from Pennsylvania, called on Trump to stop "the moral equivalency."

@POTUS must stop the moral equivalency! AGAIN, white supremacists were to blame for the violence in #Charlottesville. — Rep. Charlie Dent (@RepCharlieDent) August 15, 2017

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the president was trying to divide the country.

Great and good American presidents seek to unite not divide. Donald Trump’s remarks clearly show he is not one of them. — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 15, 2017

By saying he is not taking sides, Donald Trump clearly is. When David Duke and white supremacists cheer, you’re doing it very very wrong. — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 15, 2017

“The President’s continued talk of blame ‘on many sides’ ignores the abhorrent evil of white supremacism, and continues a disturbing pattern of complacency around acts of hate from this President, his Administration and his campaign for the presidency,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement. “There is only one side to be on when a white supremacist mob brutalizes and murders in America. The American people deserve a president who understands that.”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, told Trump he was "embarrassing."

.@realDonaldTrump, you are embarrassing our country and the millions of Americans who fought and died to defeat Nazism. — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 15, 2017

Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, said Trump "is not my president."

As a Jew, as an American, as a human, words cannot express my disgust and disappointment. This is not my President. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) August 15, 2017

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said he felt sick after reading Trump's remarks.

Just stopped on roadside to read @POTUS remarks. I nearly threw up. An American President offering a defense of white supremicists. My god. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 15, 2017

Contributing: Erin Kelly

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