At this point in his political career, there’s little to be gained by asking him if he condemns racist violence, because it’s obvious that he doesn’t.
© Getty Images Getty Images Tuesday’s presidential debate was an opportunity for both candidates to clear an incredibly low bar: not being incoherently senile, in Joe Biden’s case, and unequivocally condemning white supremacist street gangs, in President Trump’s. Biden succeeded, stringing together complete sentences and weathering the president’s interruptions as well as could be expected. Trump did not, greeting the mere suggestion that he denounce the Proud Boys — a white supremacist group known for initiating violent street brawls against leftists — with derision and equivocation, insisting that “almost everything [in terms of violence] I see is from the left-wing, not from the right-wing.” Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News kicked off the exchange: WALLACE: [Are] you willing, tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups, and to say they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities, as we saw in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland? TRUMP: Sure, I’m willing to do that. But I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing, not from the right-wing. I’m willing to do anything, I want to see peace. WALLACE: Then do it, say it. TRUMP: You wanna call them— what do you wanna call them, give me a name. Who would you like me to condemn? WALLACE: White supremacists. BIDEN: Proud Boys.
