Trump downplays deadly Charlottesville rally as a ‘peanut’ compared to Israel-Gaza protests
CNN
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night downplayed the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that led to a woman’s death as a “peanut” compared to the demonstrations happening across the US against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night downplayed the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which led to a woman’s death, as a “peanut” compared to the demonstrations happening across the US against Israel’s actions in Gaza. In August 2017, White nationalists, neo-Nazis and other right-wing groups descended on Charlottesville to protest the city’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, with some gathered chanting, “Jews will not replace us.” One of the attendees rammed his car into a crowd, killing a 32-yeard-old paralegal and injuring several others. There have been no reports of any comparable violence occurring during the pro-Palestinian demonstrations taking place across the country, which have centered largely on college campuses. Public officials have condemned incidents of antisemitism that have occurred amid the protests and raised concerns over the safety of Jewish students. Trump’s comments are his latest attempt to minimize the Charlottesville incident. He was widely condemned in 2017 for declaring there were “very fine people” on both sides of the demonstrations. Joe Biden invoked those comments when he announced his 2020 president campaign against Trump. “Crooked Joe Biden would say, constantly, that he ran because of Charlottesville. Well, if that’s the case, he’s done a really terrible job because Charlottesville is like a ‘peanut’ compared to the riots and anti-Israel protests that are happening all over our Country, RIGHT NOW,” Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday night. Trump also accused Biden in the post of hating Israel and the Jewish people, but hating the Palestinian people even more. When asked about Trump’s post, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told CNN, “President Trump is 100% correct.”
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