Commentary
Trump's Charlottesville Message: 'Many Sides' Morphs Into 'Racism Is Evil'
- by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 15, 2017
President’s Trump’s media words have been losing their value for some time. Now they are barely a side dish to the main course.
Forty-eight hours late, Trump found specific words to address the violent protests in Charlottesville, where one person died and 19 people were injured.
He said: "Racism is evil — and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups [which are] repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans."
This followed his initial, heavily criticized response, when he blamed “many sides.”
In between, there was some confusion — with many news organizations rolling their eyes when it came to an “unnamed White House official” statement forced to condemn extremists by name, after Trump’s refusal to do so.
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Forget about the last six months — the Trump Administration really starts now.
It is not just about those loose, equivocating words. It is about terrorist acts committed on U.S. soil during his Presidency — by U.S. citizens who have supported him.
Is he now angry about all extremists groups, including ISIS? Will he put the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, in the same sentence as ISIS? Not yet.
If words have questionable value with this President, maybe actions would be better. Like telling certain groups he doesn’t want their support.
Perhaps Trump can do this on his so-called Trump TV platforms: YouTube, Facebook and other sites. He would tell you he believes in media — in theory. We agree, especially where honesty, truth and facts can be verified.
Some white supremacist leaders have been pointing the finger at the President with their own message: Since fringe groups helped get him elected, they should get recognition. Some in the alt-right carried pro-Trump banners and wore Trump hats during the protests, held over the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue.
“That’s why we voted for Donald Trump,” said the former KKK chief and former Louisiana state legislator David Duke in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday. “We’re going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. That’s what we believed in.”
Long-term recognition isn’t the problem. Cognition is.
Wayne Friedman is West Coast Editor of MediaPost. You can reach Wayne at wayne@mediapost.com.
Thank you Wayne for being consistant, a Never Trumpster. I would rather he wait and measure his wording than jump out and make false claims and accusations as practiced by our former president. If you would at least take the time to WATCH all coverage and video from that terrible night, you'll see, like our President said, there are two sides to this story. One side had their permits to march, the other did not. Both sides are not what I consider to be America. I condemn both. But in the MSM, I have yet to hear anyone condemn Antifa tactics for the last 6 month. They can hurt people, cover their faces, destroy businesses, BUT they are just peaceful nice folk trying to get thier message out, right? Thanks for your time. I'll wait for the trolls to come and make a comment about my writing style, or the fact i use many single sylllable words. Was told long ago, when writing copy, make it understandable to a 6th grader. Hear that Trolls? I guess you'll understand this then.
There are not 2 sides. There is the nazi side and all who join them in any way, shape or form are part of them. No doubt there is a deserted island somewhere they can all go and build it by themselves without government interference.