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Trump speaks to the media yesterday. Pablo Martinez Monsivais

'Making hate fashionable again': Trump under fire for saying blame for Charlottesville lies on both sides

The statement once again drew sharp criticism from across the political and cultural board.

US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has triggered fresh outrage after reiterating his initial response to the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that resulted in bloodshed, saying there was “blame on both sides”.

The statement once again drew sharp criticism from across the political and cultural board.

NBA star LeBron James blasted Trump for making hate “fashionable again”, saying individuals must combat racism and not look to the “so-called president”.

James reacted swiftly after the US president reiterated his opinion that there was “blame on both sides” in the deadly racial unrest in Charlottesville at the weekend.

“Hate has always existed in America. Yes we know that but Donald Trump just made it fashionable again!” James tweeted shortly after Trump angrily defended his controversial initial response to the white supremacist rally on Saturday that erupted in clashes with counter-demonstrators.

One woman was killed when a car drove into anti-Nazi protesters.

“We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive,” Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan wrote on Twitter.

“This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.”

“Charlottesville violence was fueled by one side: white supremacists spreading racism, intolerance & intimidation. Those are the facts,” tweeted Tim Kaine, a Democratic senator from Virginia who was Hillary Clinton’s runningmate in last year’s presidential election.

Outrage “unites”

Trump Lone demonstrator Christine Veschi, of New York City, stands under her umbrella on Fifth Avenue, near Trump Tower. Richard Drew Richard Drew

“Racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, it is not okay. You can’t support it in any form or fashion,” Republican Congressman Will Hurd of Texas told CNN.

I think the outrage across the political spectrum about this is maybe the thing that ultimately unites us.

“President Trump is a sympathizer of neo-Nazi White Supremacists,” Steven Goldstein, head of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, said in a statement.

If that doesn’t make him racist and Antisemitic, and sick with hate for other oppressed peoples, what does?

“The President’s most shameful weekend was just extended indefinitely,” actress-activist Mia Farrow said in a tweet.

“There is only one side,” tweeted the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors American hate groups.

White supremacy is always wrong.

The Republican president – who one day previously had solemnly denounced racism and singled out the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis as “criminals and thugs” – also hit out at the “alt-left” over the weekend melee.

After the contentious press conference, the head of the main US labour union, the AFL-CIO, joined several high-powered executives in stepping down from Trump’s manufacturing advisory panel.

“President Trump’s remarks today repudiate his forced remarks yesterday about the KKK and neo-Nazis,” union leader Richard Trumka said in a statement.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said the government “totally condemns the kind of racism and bigotry” that was apparent in Charlottesville over the past week.

“White supremacy or white nationalism is a kind of thinking that Ireland condemns outright with no equivocation.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May, a close ally of Trump’s, said that she sees “no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them.

“I think it is important for all those in positions of responsibility to condemn far-right views wherever we hear them.”

© AFP 2017

Read: UK government says it does not want to ‘return to the hard borders of the past’ following Brexit

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    Mute Adele Sheehan
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    Dec 25th 2017, 10:21 AM

    Oh God, hope they’re okay

    335
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    Mute Leitrim303
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    Dec 25th 2017, 6:50 PM

    @Adele Sheehan: how can be ok when they are bodies. RIP

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    Mute John O'Shea
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    Dec 25th 2017, 7:04 PM

    @Leitrim303: the comment was made 9 hours ago you simpleton.

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    Mute Dlow Brown
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    Dec 25th 2017, 7:17 PM

    @Leitrim303: well done Leitrim.

    27
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    Mute The Red Devil
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    Dec 25th 2017, 11:21 AM

    Christmas is not always a happy time for people please spare a thought for those…….and for the emergency services who are away from their families dealing with whatever comes at them
    Hopefully not as bad as it sounds this story

    295
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    Mute Penney Mortimer
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    Dec 25th 2017, 2:17 PM

    The rainfall yesterday in this area was horrendous . Roads and bridges treacherous when rainfall high. My thoughts are with the families today . And I don’t think anyone should be passing comment on whether there was drinking or not . It’s really none of our business and we need to take into account that at some stage family and friends may read this post and we need to respect their feelings .

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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Dec 25th 2017, 12:11 PM

    God love them. There is no right or wrong here. Prayers for the family especially on today’s date

    217
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    Mute OU812
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    Dec 25th 2017, 1:30 PM

    @Mark Murphy: there absolutely is right and wrong.

    But let’s wait for the facts to emerge rather than assume what happened.

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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Dec 25th 2017, 6:13 PM

    @OU812: what a stupid comment

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    Mute Veronica
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    Dec 25th 2017, 3:09 PM

    Oh god absolutely awful. Devastating news for their families.

    I really appreciate our rescue services, they truly are selfless.

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    Mute Dean Burroughs
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    Dec 25th 2017, 11:40 PM

    @Veronica: selfless… It’s their job. Id say professional certainly not selfless.

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    Mute Ben Dunne
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    Dec 26th 2017, 11:19 AM

    @Dean Burroughs:
    Bit more than being professional,most of us don’t risk getting killed helping others. I used to take them for granted until Rescue 116 crashed, used to watch it fly over my house several times a day without a second thought and now I can’t help having tremendous respect for people in that field.

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    Mute Tosh Lavery
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    Dec 25th 2017, 5:01 PM

    Sad, may they Rest In Peace, and the Family’s find the strength to deal with this tragedy

    97
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    Mute Arthur Pewty
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    Dec 25th 2017, 5:29 PM

    Rest in peace young men. My sympathies to all families involved. x

    77
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    Mute Finnster
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    Dec 25th 2017, 2:59 PM

    This is terrible news for these poor families. So tragic , it can happen so easy

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    Mute vero
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    Dec 25th 2017, 12:41 PM

    Please god they will be ok, horrible news at any time of year but worse for the day thats in it

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    Mute patrickmansfield
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    Dec 25th 2017, 6:15 PM

    Prayers to the family and friends of both men,very sad news to get on Christmas morning

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    Mute helen walsh
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    Dec 25th 2017, 1:33 PM

    There was a lot of fog and bad weather, hope they are found alive. Young men are invincible, hope they hadn’t been drinking. Terrible for the families.

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    Mute Alan Chapman
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    Dec 25th 2017, 2:19 PM

    @helen walsh: I think you meant , young men think they’re invincible. Terrible tragedy at any time of year but especially the day that’s in it . Our thoughts also with all the search and rescue services involved in this.

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    Mute Mark Jasper
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    Dec 25th 2017, 9:32 PM

    Well done to my fellow colleagues in search and rescue for a quick and unfortunate recovery today.

    R.I.P. to the two men

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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Dec 25th 2017, 7:46 PM

    Shocking

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    Mute Michael O'Neill
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    Dec 25th 2017, 11:54 PM

    RIP very sad.

    11
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