Today, President Donald Trump finally “condemned” the violence coming from the white nationalist groups in Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend. GLAAD responded with a tweet (below) adding in an email ” … it was about three days too late, and it took a PR crisis and universal backlash for the president to even address this issue.”
More than 48 hours after white supremacist groups sparked deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia Trump said in an impromptu statement from the White House on Monday after returning to Washington from his golf club in New Jersey, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this display of hatred, bigotry and violence. 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 that are repugnant to what we hold dear as Americans,” he added.
In response to the violence the National LGBTQ Task Force issued the following statement:
The following can be attributed to Stacey Long Simmons, Esq., director of the Advocacy and Action Department of the National LGBTQ Task Force:
“The violence we are witnessing is horrifying, but is merely the latest manifestation of the growing racist, anti-immigration, anti-Semitic, sexist and anti-LGBTQ hate in our midst,” said Stacey Long Simmons, Esq., director of the Advocacy and Action Department of the National LGBTQ Task Force. “The continuing escalation of hate and white nationalist sentiment we are experiencing during the Trump administration has come to this – targeted violence in the streets of Virginia led by the Klu Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi organizations. The National LGBTQ Task Force will not stand by and watch the very fabric of this nation torn apart by hate. We will stand with our immigrant, Muslim, African-American, Latino, AAPI, disabled and all marginalized people targeted by the hate and discrimination coming from all directions, from the White House to the streets of Charlottesville.”
Candace Bond-Theriault, the senior policy counsel, Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice and the Democracy Project Director said, “As a Black queer Virginian I am a swell of emotions. I am angry. It is 2017 and a White Nationalist group in Charlottesville, Virginia had the audacity to march last night with torches, a symbol of allegiance with the KKK. I am also not shocked. I know that White Supremacy and hatred run rampant in my state. Growing up in southern, Virginia, I have witnessed racism firsthand more times than I can count. But even in the face of this extreme demonstration of hatred, I believe in the wise words of Martin Luther King Jr, that “Hate can’t drive out hate. Only love can do that.” In this moment we must keep each other close, hold on to each other and spread love. Today I choose the emotion of love, for myself and my fellow black queer Virginians because love is a radical act of rebellion.”
“Hate and bigotry must never be met with silence or half-hearted rebukes,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The horrific events unfolding in Charlottesville today are a stark reminder that the racism and white supremacy that has been allowed to fester for generations has recently been emboldened by the policies and rhetoric of politicians like Donald Trump. There are no two sides. Donald Trump’s refusal to clearly condemn white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and the ‘alt-right’ is a failure of leadership and once again proves he is unfit to serve. All national leaders, from the President and Vice President on down, must explicitly and unequivocally condemn this violent extremism.”
Griffin continued, “The Human Rights Campaign offers our condolences to the family of the counter protester who lost their life and all those injured. Today and everyday, we must be outraged by this kind of prejudice and we will continue to confront this violent hatred wherever it rears its ugly head.”
Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement following President Trump’s remarks today:
“It is a sad state of affairs when it’s a news story that the President of the United States condemns racism and white supremacy.
“Two days after the fact, President Trump has at long last, directly and personally, condemned the white supremacist rallies and violent extremism that occurred in Charlottesville. While today’s delayed words are welcome, they should have been spoken on Saturday. This unconscionable delay has undermined his moral credibility as our nation’s leader.
“Today’s words must be followed by action. He must stop advancing policies that seek to divide this nation. Supporters of white supremacists, violent extremism, racial bigotry, and neo-Nazis should not serve in the White House or at any level of government. The president should fire Stephen Bannon and Sebastian Gorka or any staffers who stoke hate and division.
“People in America deserve a government that is committed to ensuring we live up to our highest ideals, not exploit racial and ethnic tensions to divide us. It’s time to abandon the hateful rhetoric and anti-civil rights policy agenda that is damaging the fabric of our society.”
