White nationalist on Trump: ‘I’m proud of him for speaking the truth’
Richard Spencer, a prominent white supremacist, said Tuesday that he was “proud” of President Trump after he placed blame on both white supremacists and counterprotesters for inciting violence in Charlottesville, Va.
Trump reigniting a firestorm earlier in the afternoon when he said there was “blame on both sides” after the deadly rally.
I’m proud of him for speaking the truth.
— Richard ☝Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) August 15, 2017
Trump faced bipartisan criticism in the immediate wake of the demonstrations for not specifically condemning white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups and for instead placing blame on “many sides.”
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The president delivered a more forceful denunciation of hate groups and racism on Monday, distancing himself from his equivocal comments made over the weekend.
But in a heated news conference Tuesday, the president doubled down on his claim that counterprotesters at the white supremacist protest should share blame for the outbreak of violence in Charlottesville.
The “alt-left,” Trump said, was “very, very violent” in confronting white supremacists and neo-Nazi groups protesting the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a Charlottesville park.
“This week it is Robert E. Lee and this week, Stonewall Jackson. Is it George Washington next?” Trump said. “You have to ask yourself, where does it stop?”
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