On Monday, Senator Bernie Sanders, an avowed Socialist, stated that President Trump shares responsibility for the rioting, deaths, and violence in Charlottesville this past weekend.
“How much, if any responsibility do you think that the Trump administration has for conjuring that behavior?” a reporter asked Sanders.
Sanders replied, “Look, I think it is — when you have a president who doesn’t have the guts to say what the vast majority of the people understand to be true, that white supremacy and neo-Nazism have got to be condemned, he can’t even do that! The message he is sending out to racists and neo-Nazis all over the country is, ‘It’s OK.’ In fact, you heard some language to that. ‘The president hasn’t condemned us. Why don’t we do more rallies? Why don’t we spread the word of white supremacy and racism and neo-Nazism?’ So do I think the president bears some responsibility for that? Absolutely, yes.”
However, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Earlier this year, a Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer was shot dead after he opened fire at a GOP baseball practice game in Virginia, where he specifically targeted GOP congressmen. This attack nearly killed Majority Whip, Steve Scalise, and were it not for the intervention of the police, it’s estimated that 20 congressmen would have been slain. The shooter, James Hodgkins, also injured three others including policemen.
After the attack on the Congressional Baseball Game, Sanders condemned the violence, and opined that hatred had no place in his campaign. Sanders was widely acknowledged in the medias for the way he denounced the attack .
Throughout the entire weekend, and again on Monday, Trump made his position clear – he condemned all hatred and violence. He specifically denounced white supremacists, the KKK, and Nazis.
At a press conference, the president condemned violence, and vowed to restore order and the rule of law. “Racism is evil — and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans. …As a candidate I promised to restore law and order to our country, and our federal law enforcement agencies are following through on that pledge. We will spare no resource in fighting so that every American child can grow up free from violence and fear. We will defend and protect the sacred rights of all Americans and we will work together so that every citizen in this blessed land is free to follow their dreams, in their hearts, and to express the love and joy in our souls.”
