President Trump offered support for white nationalists and the Confederacy more than a century and a half after the end of the Civil War Tuesday, blaming the “alt-left” for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend and saying there were “very fine people” on both sides of the clashes.
The president’s off-script comments were cheered by white nationalists just one day after he timidly criticized the movement.
While a number of members of Congress have released statements explicitly condemning white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK following the president’s remarks, just 28 of 292 Republicans in Congress have released statements that call out Trump directly by name or title.
This list will be updated should other members address the president in statements.
Senate Republicans
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
There's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate& bigotry. The President of the United States should say so
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 16, 2017
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)
“The president should’ve immediately denounced the racism and the bigotry that we saw in Charlottesville. The president should’ve done that immediately. And what he did today goes back on what he said yesterday, and that’s unacceptable.”
My answer will never change on this issue. We must all call evil by its name and never backdown from denouncing hate and racism. https://t.co/NU65z6YQY9
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) August 15, 2017
WATCH: @SenCoryGardner says @realDonaldTrump reverted his stance on Charlottesville and "was wrong to do that." #9NEWS #COpolitics pic.twitter.com/1lwInCO8XB
— Brandon Rittiman (@BrandonRittiman) August 15, 2017
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
“The organizers of events which inspired & led to #charlottesvilleterroristattack are 100% to blame for a number of reasons. They are adherents of an evil ideology which argues certain people are inferior because of race, ethnicity or nation of origin. When entire movement built on anger & hatred towards people different than you,it justifies & ultimately leads to violence against them These groups today use SAME symbols & same arguments of #Nazi & #KKK, groups responsible for some of worst crimes against humanity ever Mr. President,you can’t allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame.They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain The #WhiteSupremacy groups will see being assigned only 50% of blame as a win.We can not allow this old evil to be resurrected”
Mr. President,you can't allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame.They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain 5/6
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 15, 2017
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)
White supremacy, bigotry & racism have absolutely no place in our society & no one – especially POTUS – should ever tolerate it. Full STMT: pic.twitter.com/dufC1MGWgB
— Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) August 15, 2017
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Lindsey Graham attacks Trump in a statement for his "moral equivalency" pic.twitter.com/i57fxUnB3E
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) August 16, 2017
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) August 17, 2017
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)
“It’s wrong. Why can’t he just say that? I just keep saying this over and over again and he needed to make this point,” Ernst told The Globe Gazette. “Hatred, terrorism and violence are never OK, never acceptable. It’s wrong on so many levels. He muddied the water and he just shouldn’t have done that.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Anything less than complete & unambiguous condemnation of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK by the @POTUS is unacceptable. Period.
— SenDanSullivan (@SenDanSullivan) August 17, 2017
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
“Carrying a Nazi flag or any other symbol of white supremacy is a hateful act that cannot be morally defended, least of all by the leader of a diverse nation still healing from its original sin of racist slavery,” Lee said on Facebook. “Racists may have a constitutional right to express their repugnant ideas. But the rest of us have a duty to affirm and defend the values — the moral, political, and religious values — that have helped Americans overcome violent racism at home and abroad, in war and in peace, for generations.”
House Republicans
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)
The President needs to clearly and categorically reject white supremacists. No excuses. No ambiguity.
— Ed Royce (@RepEdRoyce) August 16, 2017
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL)
.@POTUS just doesn't get it. There is no moral equivalence between manifestations for or against #whitesupermacy. He's got to stop. https://t.co/Cuf4h2Qa11
— Rep. Carlos Curbelo (@RepCurbelo) August 16, 2017
Rep. Paul Mitchel (R-MI)
You can't be a "very fine person" and be a white supremacist @POTUS
— Rep. Paul Mitchell (@RepPaulMitchell) August 15, 2017
Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ)
Mr. President, there is only one side: AGAINST white supremacists, neo-Nazis, anti-Semites & the KKK. They have no place in America or GOP.
— Rep. Leonard Lance (@RepLanceNJ7) August 16, 2017
Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH)
POTUS deflected from the fact that a young woman was killed & others were injured by a bigoted follower of the white supremacist movement.
— Rep. Pat Tiberi (@PatTiberi) August 15, 2017
Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX)
GOP Rep. Will Hurd to President Trump: "Apologize … Racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism of any form is unacceptable" https://t.co/fXX8j6DDid
— CNN (@CNN) August 15, 2017
Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA)
Mr. President, there were not "very fine people" on the NeoNazi, white supremacist side; only haters. Grateful DOJ understands this. https://t.co/MDmYPcUP5h
— Barbara Comstock (@BarbaraComstock) August 15, 2017
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL)
— Peter Roskam (@PeterRoskam) August 16, 2017
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
@POTUS must stop the moral equivalency! AGAIN, white supremacists were to blame for the violence in #Charlottesville.
— Rep. Charlie Dent (@RepCharlieDent) August 15, 2017
Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA)
“I think that yesterday’s [press] conference was a failure of leadership. Yesterday was not the best day,” said Scott on CNN Wednesday morning. “There is no question about it. There is no moral equivalency. They should absolutely condemn the Nazis and the KKK.”
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)
My most recent statement on Charlottesville: pic.twitter.com/UDiSxdJpnj
— Rep. Mike Gallagher (@RepGallagher) August 16, 2017
Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI)
.@POTUS, America's children are watching. Denounce white nationalists & their evil ideology. They are enemies of liberty & our Constitution.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) August 13, 2017
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AK)
“The president missed a window of opportunity to reject categorically the white supremacy groups that marched in Charlottesville and to name singularly their blame in the death and violence,” Crawford told Arkansas Online. “Had the White House handled the aftermath more bluntly and forthrightly, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
Rep. French Hill (R-AK)
“He would’ve helped the country and helped our communities deal with this by standing by his earlier statement and calling for communities to come together and work out differences and reject … the hate that we saw on display in Charlottesville,” Hill told Arkansas Online.
Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS)
“I think when we don’t speak clearly about this, we give oxygen and encouragement to these groups. And so that’s why we need to denounce them clearly and directly,” Yoder told the Kansas City Star. “I think the president has made a mistake and missed an opportunity to unite this country. And every time he equivocates on the matter, I think he’s encouraging these groups to believe that they’re legitimate.”
Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL)
I expect President Trump and all Americans to condemn white supremacy and neo-Nazism without hesitation, equivocation or ambiguity.
— Rep. Randy Hultgren (@RepHultgren) August 16, 2017
Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA)
“What happened was someone drove a car into a crowd and killed one person and injured 19 others, and that was a white supremacist. That’s what happened. So he [President Trump] should call it what it is and not get into this broader question of who else out there may be causing noise and contributing to the situation that we’re in right now. We’re a better country than what happened in Charlottesville,” Costello posted on his Facebook page. “And we’re a better country than these remarks that sort of equalize or marginalize or create an equivalency between various forms of hate. Hate is bad and it’s ugly, and we should be pushing back against it on all cylinders.”
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA)
“The President’s latest remarks don’t acknowledge that the tragedy in Charlottesville was the direct result of racial hatred fueled by white supremacists and neo-fascists who showed up spoiling for a fight,” Murphy said in a statement on Facebook. “They employed unrestrained hateful rhetoric and street theatrics that ended in a terrorist action by one of their followers. There is no moral equivalence here. We can’t overcome evil without naming it.”
Rep. Bill Heizenga (R-MI)
“Today, President Trump had the opportunity to clearly refute the ideology spread by groups such as the KKK and White Supremacists and failed to do so. This shouldn’t be a tough decision. If an ideology promotes hate and targets individuals because of their race, religion, or gender it should be refuted,” Heizenga said on Facebook.