CNN’s Zakaria slams elite for reaction to Trump, Charlottesville

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria blasted the nation’s elite on Sunday for a “mealy mouthed” reaction to President Trump’s remarks on Charlottesville.

Zakaria said that most of the country reacted “swiftly and strongly” to Trump’s comments that “both sides” were to blame for violence at the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., but that GOP politicians and executives fell short.

“The delayed, qualified and often mealy mouthed reaction of many in America’s leadership class tell a disturbing story about the country’s elites and the reason we are living in an age of populist rebellion,” Zakaria said.

{mosads}Zakaria hit Republican leaders for having “suddenly gone mute” over Trump’s comments and not condemning the leader of their party.

And while he said that business leaders had done the right thing in dropping out of Trump’s advisory councils, Zakaria questioned if other CEOs would have spoken out if Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier hadn’t publicly resigned first.

“Some jumped ship when it was clear there was really no alternative,” Zakaria said.

Trump was forced to shutter his advisory councils after business leaders announced they were disbanding the panels.

The eruption came after Trump doubled down Tuesday on comments blaming both sides for the violence in Charlottesville, which resulted in the death of one anti-racist protester and the injury of at least a dozen others when a man with white supremacist ties plowed his car into a crowd.

“What about the alt-left that came charging at the — as you say, the alt-right?” Trump said. “Do they have any semblance of guilt? What about the fact they came charging with clubs in their hands, swinging clubs? Do they have any problem? I think they do. As far as I am concerned, that was a horrible, horrible day.”