Ryan: ‘White supremacy is a scourge’

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) denounced white supremacy in the wake of the racially charged clashes in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday. 

“Our hearts are with today’s victims. White supremacy is a scourge. This hate and its terrorism must be confronted and defeated,” Ryan said on Twitter.  

Our hearts are with today’s victims. White supremacy is a scourge. This hate and its terrorism must be confronted and defeated.

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) August 12, 2017

Ryan’s tweet comes after several of his Republican colleagues in the Senate slammed President Trump for not mentioning white supremacists when he condemned the violence, which led to the death of one counter-protester. 

Trump said “many sides” were responsible for the violence. 

{mosads}”We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides,” Trump said at a press conference. 

White nationalist, white supremacist and alt-right groups were initially scheduled to gather in Charlottesville’s Emancipation Park Saturday to protest the city’s decision to remove a Confederate statue there. 

But as clashes broke out ahead of the so-called “Unite the Right” rally Saturday morning, police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, breaking up the event before it officially began.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) confirmed Saturday night that at least three people were killed after the violent clashes.