Once again, the president has refused to explicitly disavow the extremism, Nazi imagery, and vehicular attack that occurred in Charlottesville. Throughout the campaign and in his brief presidency, Donald Trump has had many opportunities to not just fully distance his administration from those allied with Nazi sympathizers and the KKK but also to denounce them. However, today, he used his bully pulpit to decry the hate and violence ‘on many sides.’
To be clear, there is only one side that wishes to provoke hate and violence, and there is only one side that committed an apparent act of terrorism today. Nazis and white nationalists showed up to cause harm and unrest in Charlottesville. Their racism, hatred, and bigotry have no place in our society.