The following article by Annie Karni was posted on the Politico website August 5, 2018:
Tag: Charlottesville
After Charlottesville, Black Republican Gives Trump a History Lesson on Racism
The following article by Yamiche Alcindo and Glenn Thrush was posted on the New York Times website September 13, 2017:
WASHINGTON — Tim Scott, the lone black Republican in the Senate, delivered a pointed history lesson on America’s 300-year legacy of racism to President Trump on Wednesday in response to what he called Mr. Trump’s “sterile” response to the riots in Charlottesville, Va., last month.
The president invited Mr. Scott, a conservative from South Carolina who had expressed disgust with Mr. Trump’s equivocal reaction to the white supremacist protests that left one woman dead, to the Oval Office for what Mr. Trump’s staff described as a demonstration of the president’s commitment to “positive race relations.” Both men described the interaction as positive and constructive, but Mr. Scott clearly had a point to make.
When a reporter asked the senator after the meeting if the president had expressed regret, a pained look flashed on Mr. Scott’s face. He paused for a few seconds and replied, “He certainly tried to explain what he was trying to convey.” Continue reading “After Charlottesville, Black Republican Gives Trump a History Lesson on Racism”
Pro-Russian Bots Take Up the Right-Wing Cause After Charlottesville
The following article by Isaac Arnsdorf was posted on the Pro Publica website August 23, 2017:
Analysts tracking Russian influence operations find a feedback loop between Kremlin propaganda and far-right memes.
Update: Aug. 23, 2017: This article has been updated to include a comment provided by Sputnik after this story was published. Sputnik’s full comment can be found here.
Angee Dixson joined Twitter on Aug. 8 and immediately began posting furiously — about 90 times a day. A self-described American Christian conservative, Dixson defended President Donald Trump’s response to the unrest in Charlottesville, criticized the removal of Confederate monuments and posted pictures purporting to show violence by left-wing counterprotesters.
“Dems and Media Continue to IGNORE BLM and Antifa Violence in Charlottesville,” she wrote above a picture of masked demonstrators labeled “DEMOCRAT TERROR.” Continue reading “Pro-Russian Bots Take Up the Right-Wing Cause After Charlottesville”
Trump’s science envoy quits in scathing letter with an embedded message: I-M-P-E-A-C-H
The following article by Amy Wang was posted on the Washington Post website August 23, 2017:
Daniel Kammen, a renewable energy expert appointed last year as a science envoy to the State Department, resigned Wednesday, citing President Trump’s response to the violence in Charlottesville as the final straw that led to his departure.
In a resignation letter posted to Twitter, Kammen wrote that Trump’s remarks about the racial violence in Virginia had attacked “core values of the United States” and that it would have “domestic and international ramifications.”
Demonstrations by white supremacist groups on Aug. 12 turned deadly after a neo-Nazi plowed a car into a crowd, killing one counterprotester and injuring at least 19 other people in Charlottesville. Two Virginia state troopers were also killed when their helicopter crashed.
Trump’s initial response was widely criticized, even by members of his own political party, for being insufficient and vague. Though the president later condemned the hate groups, he went on to effectively undo his conciliatory remarks by giving an off-the-rails news conference days later in which he once again blamed “both sides” in Charlottesville. Continue reading “Trump’s science envoy quits in scathing letter with an embedded message: I-M-P-E-A-C-H”
Trump’s whiplash: Three personas in three speeches, but the same president
The following article by Philip Rucker was posted on the Washington Post website August 23, 2017:
In the span of 48 hours this week, President Trump has boomeranged among three roles: the commander in chief, the divider and the uniter.
Like a contestant on one of his reality TV shows, Trump has taken on contrasting personas, showcasing divergent traits with flourishes seemingly to survive another day of his beleaguered presidency. Or, as Trump the television producer might put it, to keep up the ratings.
On Monday night at Fort Myer in Virginia, before hundreds of uniformed military members, he announced a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan with sobriety and seriousness. Reading from a teleprompter script, he ruminated about the gravity of his office and vowed to win a deeply unpopular conflict that, at 16 years, is the United States’ longest war. Continue reading “Trump’s whiplash: Three personas in three speeches, but the same president”
In his speech about Afghanistan, Trump tries again to win the Battle of Charlottesville
The following article by Philip Bump was posted on the Washington Post website August 21, 2017:
President Trump addressed U.S. troops and the nation from Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., on Aug. 21 to announce his plan going forward in Afghanistan. (The Washington Post)
President Trump’s first prime-time address to the nation from Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., was meant to outline his strategy for resolving (or at least addressing) the interminable conflict in Afghanistan. In the wake of the civil unrest in Charlottesville and broad critique over his response to it, he took time at the beginning of his speech to pointedly champion the diversity of America’s armed forces. Continue reading “In his speech about Afghanistan, Trump tries again to win the Battle of Charlottesville”
Words Still Matter
The following article was posted on the TrumpAccountable.org website August 23, 2017:
This blog tries to focus on what President Trump does rather than what he says. But in the wake of the Charlottesville demonstrations that left a protester dead at the hands of an alleged white supremacist, Donald Trump’s words have been his actions – and the polls are showing that most Americans feel his words have done more to divide the country than unite it.
In a CNN/Morning Consult Poll released this morning, President Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 39% – his lowest number yet. Notably shrinking are his numbers among Republicans where he lost 8 percentage points compared to the week before.
53% of voters surveyed feel that Trump did more to divide the country after Charlottesville. “Responding to national tragedies often provides presidents ground to rise above politics and demonstrate leadership,” according to Kyle Dropp chief research officer at Morning Consult. “In his remarks on Charlottesville, President Trump missed that opportunity to appeal to constituencies who don’t already side with him, according to our polling. A large majority of Democrats, 71 percent, found his reaction to be inappropriate. And just 16 percent of voters overall say that his response was unifying.” Continue reading “Words Still Matter”
At Rally, Trump Blames Media for Country’s Deepening Divisions
The following article by Mark Landler and Maggie Haberman was posted on the New York Times website August 22, 2017:
PHOENIX — President Trump, stung by days of criticism that he sowed racial division in the United States after deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Va., accused the news media on Tuesday of misrepresenting what he insisted was his prompt, unequivocal condemnation of bigotry and hatred.
After declaring, “What happened in Charlottesville strikes at the core of America,” Mr. Trump delivered a lengthy, aggrieved defense of his statements after the Aug. 12 violence that left one woman dead and the nation reeling at the images of swastikas in Thomas Jefferson’s hometown. Continue reading “At Rally, Trump Blames Media for Country’s Deepening Divisions”
Poll shows clear disapproval of how Trump responded to Charlottesville violence
The following article by Scott Clement and David Nakamura was posted on the Washington Post website August 21, 2017:
Twice as many Americans disapprove than approve of President Trump’s response to the deadly Charlottesville protests led by white supremacists that ignited widespread political backlash against the White House, although a majority of Republicans offer at least tepid support in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Trump’s handling of the racially charged clashes at the Unite the Right rally Aug. 12 erupted into a major flash point in his administration and earned him rebukes from members of Congress, military leaders and major business executives. The president equivocated in denouncing the hate groups and cast blame on “both sides” for the deadly violence, prompting criticism that he was fanning racial tensions. Continue reading “Poll shows clear disapproval of how Trump responded to Charlottesville violence”
Post Politics Schiff questions Trump’s ‘capability,’ says issue could get worse with time
The following article by John Wagner was posted on the Washington Post website August 20, 2017:
In the wake of the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, politicians question President Trump’s response and ask whether he has the ‘moral authority’ to lead the nation through divisive times. (The Washington Post)
Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday that he sees “some serious issues” with President Trump’s capabilities that aren’t likely to get better but that it’s premature to consider invoking a constitutional provision to force him from office.
“I certainly think that there’s an issue with the president’s capability. There’s some attribute of his character that makes him seemingly incapable of introspection and a broad understanding of what the country really needs, and I think it’s a question that people are asking, you know, ‘What is going on with this president? What can explain this kind of behavior?’ ” Schiff said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Continue reading “Post Politics Schiff questions Trump’s ‘capability,’ says issue could get worse with time”