Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is endorsing a resolution from House Democrats to censure President Trump after his response to the violent events in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Reps. Jerry Nadler of New York, Bonnie Watson of New Jersey and Pramila Jayapal of Washington on Wednesday introduced the first censure resolution against the president. The censure movement came a day before Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, announced he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against the president.

"The president's repulsive defense of white supremacists demands that Congress act to defend our American values," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said in a Friday statement.

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"Every day, the president gives us further evidence of why such a censure is necessary," Pelosi continued. "Indeed, with each passing day, it becomes clearer that the Republican Congress must declare whether it stands for our sacred American values or with the president who embraces white nationalism. Democrats will use every avenue to challenge the repulsiveness of President Trump's words and actions."

A censure is a public reprimand, formally disapproving of a public official.

Democrats' criticism of Mr. Trump has intensified since the Saturday white nationalist protest in Charlottesville, which resulted in the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer when a driver mowed down a crowd of counter-protesters. Mr. Trump at first said there was hatred on "many sides."

On Monday, he condemned white supremacism, but on Tuesday, he again blamed "both sides" for the violence and said there were "very fine people" among the attendees protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue.