Day 206: Donald Trump Hits All-Time Low: Providing Cover to Neo-Nazis
White supremacists incite violence that leads to multiple deaths in Virginia and Trump blames all parties.
By now you’ve seen the news: protests and counter-protests led to a man plowing into civilians, killing one and injuring dozens more in Charlottesville, Virginia. A police helicopter monitoring the escalating situation crashed, killed two officers.
White nationalists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis, racists, bigots, whatever you want to call them, were in Virginia Friday and Saturday in a “Unite the Right” rally in response to remove a statute of Robert E. Lee from a park in Charlottesville.
They came extremely armed and displaying numerous signs of outright hatred.
The car that ran over a number of Black Lives Matter civilians was driven by a suspected member of the white supremacists protesting the statue’s removal.
All in, it’s pretty easy to denounce racism, and, you know, neo-Nazis. In fact, there has probably never been an easier political statement in the U.S. than, “I denounce Nazis.”
Domestic terrorism. A terror attack. Traitors. Hate. Bigotry. Reprehensible. White supremacy. A neo-Nazi rally. Nazi ideas. This is not a partisan issue. It’s really, really fucking easy to take a stand against neo-Nazis.
For everyone except for Donald Trump, that is.
The world was watching. This was his most important moment since his inauguration. His first national crisis.
He struck out.
First, he took to Twitter, then the podium.
This broad statement was extolled by white supremacists for condemning the actions of the counter-protesters. Strike one.
Trump brags about himself before adding, “-but Charlottesville sad!” Just pathetic. Strike two.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms…”
Yes…
“…this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence…”
Okay…
“on many sides! On many sides!”
No! Strike three, you utter buffoon.
One group of people showed up out of hate: white supremacists.
One group of people showed up out of bigotry: white supremacists.
One group of people were responsible for the violent death of an innocent: white supremacists.
After his brief, tepid statement, he quickly pivoted to talking about the Department of Veterans Affairs and jobs. If it was possible for strikes four and five, Trump managed that too.
He blatantly ignored the questions as to whether he denounced white nationalism and terror.
After seeing all of the fallout from his statement, he tweets “best regards to all of those injured.” Is he signing off on an email? Is that the best he can do? Yes, apparently, that’s the best he can do.
It’s never been clearer that Donald Trump is the ultimate coward, who has surrounded himself with white supremacists and racists, allowing an echo chamber to build up around him. He knows that virtually all of the people marching to Lee’s statue punched his name at the ballot box in November. He also knows his base is dwindling by the day. The only thing that scares Trump more than Special Counsel Robert Mueller is alienating the few people who actually like him.
Today, that combination led him to take the stage during a time when America needed a true leader representing all citizens. A president who would unblinkingly stand for equality and justice. Instead, the country got a blathering dolt trying to pass out blame like Thanksgiving mashed potatoes.
Neo-Nazis have been given a platform like never before seen in the U.S. There are scores of World War II veterans still alive that literally fought Nazis for the freedom that so many take for granted today. Family members still remember and mourn those who didn’t come home, like Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). The ones who did make it home must have their stomachs churning at the despicable actions in Charlottesville and Trump’s feckless rhetoric.
Robert E. Lee — the man whose statue white supremacists were allegedly desperate to save — was so embarrassed by the Civil War and the toll it took on the nation that he wanted the confederate flag bleached from history.
Donald Trump will likely eventually provide some generic statement about how he hates hatred and how he wants to combat violence and how no one loves America more than him and how he’s going to MAGA like no one’s ever MAGAed. But it’s over. He missed his shot. Inexplicably, he managed to hit yet another new low. White supremacists are literally celebrating his inaction today and his first seven months in office.
Winston Churchill famously once said, “History is written by the victors.”
It’s imperative the nation have a leader that can stand up to terrorism — foreign and domestic — and guarantee that history will be written by those believing in freedom, equality, openness, non-violence and the good that makes up the vast majority of Americans.
206 days in, 1256 to go
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