The White House strongly criticized former President Trump for downplaying the severity of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, comparing it to current campus protests over the Gaza war.
Deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said it is 'disgusting and causing disagreement' to downplay the antisemitic and white supremacist displays in Charlottesville.
Bates mentioned that the Charlottesville rally inspired President Biden to run for office in 2020, emphasizing Biden's opposition to antisemitism and hate. launch of a national strategy to counter antisemitism.
“And unlike some figures on the right, President Biden has never invited Neo Nazis and Holocaust deniers over for lunch,” Bates added, a reference to Trump’s meeting in 2022 with Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.
Trump twice on Thursday downplayed the Charlottesville rally, which was a major flashpoint early in his first term.
Trump compared Charlottesville to current riots and anti-Israel protests, calling it a 'small issue' in comparison to current events. wrote on Truth Social.
Later in the day, as he departed the courtroom in Manhattan where his hush money trial is taking place, Trump again ripped Biden’s handling of the ongoing campus protests while minimizing the Charlottesville violence.
Trump accused Biden of mishandling the current campus protests and minimizing the severity of the Charlottesville violence.
Trump referred to Charlottesville as a 'small issue' and expressed that the hate wasn't comparable to current circumstances.
The August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville served as a major moment early in Trump’s first term as white supremacists, who had chanted antisemitic slogans and marched with tiki torches on the first night of the rally, clashed with counter-protesters.
Heather Heyer, a counter-protester, was killed after James Alex Fields drove his car into a crowd.
Biden frequently references the Charlottesville violence as a major motivator for his decision to run for the White House in 2020, and he often cites Trump’s response to the event, in which the then-president said there was blame on “both sides,” as well as “very fine people on both sides.”
Trump’s comments Thursday came as college campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, have garnered nationwide attention. Lawmakers have traveled to Columbia University in New York City, where demonstrations on campus have sparked criticism for some antisemitic elements.
Biden has condemned antisemitism in the protests, but he also has condemned those who do not understand what is happening with the Palestinians.
The president has been trying to carefully balance his public support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas since the attack last October, which killed over 1,100 Israelis, while also urging Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza.
