Charlottesville: Trump's Defense of White Supremacists After the Unite the Right Rally
The August 12, 2017 Unite the Right rally drew hundreds of neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members, and white nationalists to Charlottesville. A rally participant drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer. Trump initially blamed 'many sides,' then under pressure condemned white supremacists, then two days later reinstated the 'very fine people on both sides' framing in a combative press conference. The statements were widely understood as a signal of presidential sympathy to white nationalist movements.
Overview
The Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 11-12, 2017 was the largest gathering of white nationalists in the United States in decades. Attendees included members of neo-Nazi organizations, the Ku Klux Klan, and various militia groups; they marched with weapons and Nazi paraphernalia, chanting "Jews will not replace us" and "Blood and soil."
On August 12, James Alex Fields Jr. — a 20-year-old Ohio man who had expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and been pictured marching with the neo-Nazi group Vanguard America — drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters on a downtown street. The attack killed 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer and injured 35 others.
Three Statements, Three Days
Trump's response unfolded over three days in a pattern that would define the episode:
August 12: Trump condemned "hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides" — without naming white supremacists or neo-Nazis. Republican senators Marco Rubio, Orrin Hatch, and Cory Gardner, as well as the Anti-Defamation League, immediately called the statement inadequate.
August 14: Under evident pressure from his staff, family, and party, Trump read a prepared statement that named the KKK, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists as criminal. White nationalist websites noted that Trump appeared to be reading under duress.
August 15: In an unscripted press conference at Trump Tower, Trump reversed course — saying "there is blame on both sides," insisting there were "very fine people on both sides," and comparing Robert E. Lee to George Washington. When a reporter asked whether he was putting white supremacists and neo-Nazis on the same moral plane as those opposing them, Trump said yes.
Signal to the Far Right
The response from white nationalist movement leaders was unambiguous celebration. David Duke, the former KKK grand wizard, thanked Trump for his "honesty and courage." The Daily Stormer's Andrew Anglin wrote that Trump had given effectively no condemnation, framing it as a victory for the movement.
The incident is documented as a significant moment in the mainstreaming of white nationalist rhetoric in American politics, and as a signal that the Trump administration would not treat white nationalist violence as a priority threat — a posture confirmed by the FBI's subsequent deprioritization of domestic terrorism threats from white supremacist groups compared to other threat categories.
Timeline
Sequence of events
August 11, 2017
Unite the Right rally torchlight march
Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klan members march with tiki torches at the University of Virginia, chanting 'You will not replace us' and 'Jews will not replace us.' Three people are assaulted.
August 12, 2017
Vehicle attack kills Heather Heyer
James Alex Fields Jr., a neo-Nazi from Ohio, drives his car at high speed into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 35 others. Earlier in the day, white nationalists attack counter-protesters with clubs and chemical sprays.
August 12, 2017
Trump blames 'many sides'
Trump makes his initial statement: 'We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides. On many sides.' He does not name white supremacists, neo-Nazis, or the Ku Klux Klan. Republican senators and Democrats condemn the statement as inadequate.
August 14, 2017
Trump reads prepared condemnation of white supremacists
Under pressure from staff, family, and congressional leaders, Trump reads a prepared statement: 'Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups.' White nationalist leaders note that the statement appeared clearly to be read reluctantly from a script.
August 15, 2017
Trump reinstates 'both sides' at combative press conference
At an impromptu press conference at Trump Tower, Trump goes off script and reinstates the 'many sides' framing, saying 'I think there is blame on both sides' and 'you also had people that were very fine people on both sides.' He also defends Confederate monuments and compares Robert E. Lee to George Washington.
August 15, 2017
White nationalist leaders celebrate
Andrew Anglin of the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer writes that Trump gave 'No condemnation at all.' Richard Spencer says 'Trump's statement was fair and down to earth.' Multiple white nationalist leaders describe the August 15 press conference as a victory.
August 16, 2017
Business council resignations cascade
Within 24 hours of Trump's August 15 press conference, the CEOs of Merck, Under Armour, Intel, and Campbell Soup resign from the American Manufacturing Council; Trump dissolves the council rather than face further resignations.
July 1, 2019
Trump again fails to condemn white nationalism when asked
In a press conference, asked directly whether white nationalism is a growing threat, Trump says: 'I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems.' The question was raised in the context of a mass shooting at a New Zealand mosque.
Sources
- ↑ Trump Condemns 'All That Hate Stands For' After Charlottesville — The New York Times
- ↑ Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost — The New York Times
- ↑ Charlottesville white nationalist rally organizer says he was inspired by Trump — The Washington Post
- ↑ Trump's Charlottesville response continues to haunt him — The Associated Press
- ↑ Charlottesville, One Year Later: The Ongoing Fight for Civil Rights — ACLU
Verification