As strong as President Donald Trump’s statement on the Charlottesville, Va., violence was, the one thing he didn’t say was, ‘I condemn white race supremacists, ‘ former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told a Fox News Sunday panel.
As strong as President Donald Trump’s statement on the Charlottesville, Va., violence was, « the one thing he didn’t say was, ‘I condemn white race supremacists, ‘ » former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told a « Fox News Sunday » panel.
« I do think if you’re fair to him, the statement itself was pretty strong and pretty direct about condemning the violence, condemning bigotry, » Gingrich told the panel. « I mean he talks very specifically about condemning racism. But I agree, I think that clearly he should talk out much more aggressively about it. »
Gingrich, who often speaks in support of President Trump, added he expects the president to reiterate past condemnations of hate groups.
« I do think the president should speak up more clearly, and I suspect [Sunday] or [Monday] he will, » Gingrich said, before pivoting to condemning violence on all sides as President Trump did in his statement Saturday.
What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives. #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/DB22fgnu6L
« I’d also point out, though, from a conservative perspective, we’ve been watching a rising tide of violence in this country for good while now, » Gingrich continued Sunday. « And, you know, when the chancellor of the University of California-Berkeley is spending $9,000 for an escape door because they assume students will occupy his offense, that just tells you that we have this pattern that’s building and it’s building.
« It’s on both sides. It’s dangerous, » he added.
Gingrich defended the president against the general criticism he does not condemn white supremacists.
« Let me also point out, Trump explicitly repudiated the KKK in the campaign, » Gingrich told the panel. « I mean the elite media may not want to believe it. Go back and look at the videotape. He explicitly repudiated it. He explicitly repudiated David Duke. It is a falsehood to suggest the conservatism, which believes in liberty, has anything to do with Nazism. »
« . .. In his inaugural, he said, all of us bleed the same blood. He said there’s no grounds for racism. He said it is unpatriotic to be racist. You cannot be a good American and be a racist. That’s [from] the inaugural. »
