HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Trump Denounces Racism in Charlottesville. Too Little, Too Late.

Views:1083
@ReasonVids

It's too little too late that President Donald Trump has finally called out violent white nationalists who marched through the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. One of them deliberately drove his car into a crowd of people, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 20 more.

It's pathetic that it took massive public backlash—including a lot from Republicans and conservatives—to spur the president to actually denounce neo-Nazis. Who still needs a teachable moment on this? Seventy-two years after the end of World War II and the president of the United States is slow off the mark to condemn white supremacists?


Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/reasontv

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Subscribe to our podcast at iTunes: https://goo.gl/az3a7a

Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.



Rarely one for evenhanded rhetoric, President Trump's initial response referred only to "violence," and he pointedly refused to call out the protesters who beat a black man into the hospital.

The president even managed to squeeze in some political sloganeering over the weekend, declaring "we are all Americans first," echoing one of campaign themes.

There are three basic explanations for Trump's shameful response, one more troubling than the other. Maybe he's unaware that Nazis were responsible for murdering 11 million people. Or maybe he is so politically tone-deaf that he thought his original comments were adequate. Or maybe he just doesn't want to alienate those he considers an important part of his political constituency. Any way you look at it, it's not good.

President Trump surely isn't responsible for the car that killed Heather Heyer, but his rhetoric has helped to fill its gas tank. He wasn't slow to call out Black Lives Matter by name for supposedly "igniting" attacks on police even as he explicitly encouraged violence at his own campaign rallies, telling his supporters that he would cover their legal expenses if they got in trouble.

Just a few weeks ago, he encouraged police to rough up suspects.

If the president really is interested in curbing violence and restoring "law and order," it shouldn't be so hard for him to denounce neo-Nazis by name while upholding constitutional protections for free speech.

That's what we need from a chief executive in hyper-partisan and polarized times, but Donald Trump doesn't seem interested in being the president of most—much less all—Americans.

Produced by Todd Krainin. Written and narrated by Nick Gillespie.

libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
alt right
,
virginia
,
racism
,
hate crime
,
white nationalism
,
charlottesville
,
antifa
,
neo-nazi
,
heather heyer
,
james alex fields
    Thumbnail for John Stossel vs. Noam Chomsky on Venezuela4:11
    John Stossel vs. Noam Chomsky on Venezuela
    ReasonVids
    836 views
    Thumbnail for Jonah Goldberg on The Tyranny of Cliches, Creating NRO, and the Firing of John Derbyshire30:24
    Jonah Goldberg on The Tyranny of Cliches, Creating NRO, and the Firing of John Derbyshire
    ReasonVids
    906 views
    Thumbnail for How can I talk politics with my earnest lefty friends without them screaming at me?2:35
    How can I talk politics with my earnest lefty friends without them screaming at me?
    ReasonVids
    971 views
    Thumbnail for Trump Dares to Notice South Africa8:02
    Trump Dares to Notice South Africa
    AmericanRenaissance
    1419 views
    Thumbnail for Trumpman1488 spotted in public 0:09
    Trumpman1488 spotted in public
    bestofvoatxyz
    893 views
    Thumbnail for The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution:  A History13:13
    The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: A History
    IJvids
    891 views
    Thumbnail for Texas School: Better to Burn Kids Than Allow "Toxic" Sunscreen! (Nanny of the Month, 6-14)1:52
    Texas School: Better to Burn Kids Than Allow "Toxic" Sunscreen! (Nanny of the Month, 6-14)
    ReasonVids
    784 views
    Thumbnail for Why Americans Are Suckers for Quick Fixes From Psychologists5:01
    Why Americans Are Suckers for Quick Fixes From Psychologists
    ReasonVids
    915 views
    Thumbnail for Gov't Bully to Citizen Activists:  Lie or Face Crippling Fines2:53
    Gov't Bully to Citizen Activists: Lie or Face Crippling Fines
    IJvids
    1219 views
    Thumbnail for Flamethrower1:04
    Flamethrower
    bestofupgoat
    332 views
    Thumbnail for Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Won't Vote for Hillary0:36
    Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Won't Vote for Hillary
    ReasonVids
    928 views
    Thumbnail for Cop is so stupid he records himself deleting video evidence off of his victims phone on his own bodycam1:00
    Cop is so stupid he records himself deleting video evidence off of his victims phone on his own bodycam
    bestofpoal
    1072 views
    Thumbnail for 3 Reasons Mitt Romney and Republicans Lost Big in Election 20122:31
    3 Reasons Mitt Romney and Republicans Lost Big in Election 2012
    ReasonVids
    916 views
    Thumbnail for The Whitest Kids U'Know Season 3 Episode 19 and 2022:28
    The Whitest Kids U'Know Season 3 Episode 19 and 20
    wkuk.topic
    466 views
    Thumbnail for MTV VJ and Radio Host Kennedy on Marijuana, The Politics of Alt Rock, and Becoming Libertarian9:50
    MTV VJ and Radio Host Kennedy on Marijuana, The Politics of Alt Rock, and Becoming Libertarian
    ReasonVids
    1005 views
    Thumbnail for There's a "pandemic" every cold/flu season. And it's very profitable...0:45
    There's a "pandemic" every cold/flu season. And it's very profitable...
    voatcatbox
    504 views
    Thumbnail for Battling Nancy Pelosi: Candidate John Dennis on Why Libertarianism is the GOP's Only Hope5:33
    Battling Nancy Pelosi: Candidate John Dennis on Why Libertarianism is the GOP's Only Hope
    ReasonVids
    971 views
    Thumbnail for Super Delegates...To the Rescue (of Hillary Clinton)!1:08
    Super Delegates...To the Rescue (of Hillary Clinton)!
    ReasonVids
    1010 views
    Thumbnail for Doom 2 in Spain Only - MAP30: Icono del Pecado (Blind Ultra-Violence 100%) | decino15:54
    Doom 2 in Spain Only - MAP30: Icono del Pecado (Blind Ultra-Violence 100%) | decino
    invidious
    241 views
    Thumbnail for Bill de Blasio Panders To Unions Over Educating Poor Kids3:57
    Bill de Blasio Panders To Unions Over Educating Poor Kids
    ReasonVids
    967 views
    Thumbnail for Why Trump's 'Buy American, Hire American' is un-American3:17
    Why Trump's 'Buy American, Hire American' is un-American
    ReasonVids
    1041 views
    Thumbnail for CA sheriff orders raid on Indiana Batmobile garage, allegedly as favor for friend - EXCLUSIVE | ABC7 News Bay Area6:16
    CA sheriff orders raid on Indiana Batmobile garage, allegedly as favor for friend - EXCLUSIVE | ABC7 News Bay Area
    invidious
    365 views
    Thumbnail for How Doom 64's Unmaker Works | decino7:51
    How Doom 64's Unmaker Works | decino
    invidious
    330 views
    Thumbnail for The Oxford Brookes Global MBA | Oxford Brookes Business2:45
    The Oxford Brookes Global MBA | Oxford Brookes Business
    invidious
    287 views
    Thumbnail for Kursk And Selydove are 'difficult' for the Ukrainians. Their shortage of alive soldiers has them retreating on most fronts. 'Running away' in some cases. 1:00
    Kursk And Selydove are 'difficult' for the Ukrainians. Their shortage of alive soldiers has them retreating on most fronts. 'Running away' in some cases.
    bestofupgoat
    165 views

points

Permalink
Reply
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
alt right
,
virginia
,
racism
,
hate crime
,
white nationalism
,
charlottesville
,
antifa
,
neo-nazi
,
heather heyer
,
james alex fields
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle