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Alex Brandon via AP

Protesters clash in Phoenix as Trump defends his response to Charlottesville violence

Trump made his comments during a rally in Phoenix, Arizona.

US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has blamed the media for the widespread condemnation of his response to a Charlottesville, Virginia, protest organised by white supremacists that led to the killing of a counter-protester.

Trump opened his political rally in Phoenix with a call for unity, saying, “What happened in Charlottesville strikes at the core of America and tonight, this entire arena stands united in forceful condemnation of the thugs that perpetrated hatred and violence”.

But he quickly trained his ire on the media, shouting that he “openly called for healing unity and love” in the immediate aftermath of Charlottesville and claimed the media had misrepresented him.

He read from his three responses to the violence.

Democrats and fellow Republicans had denounced Trump for placing blame for the Charlottesville violence on “both sides.” Trump omitted that part of his reaction from his recap last night.

“You know where my heart is,” Trump said. “I’m only doing this to show you how damned dishonest these people are.”

After the rally, a day of noisy but largely peaceful protests outside the Phoenix convention centre turned unruly as police fired pepper spray at crowds after someone apparently lobbed rocks and bottles at officers.

Trump Protests People protest outside the Phoenix Convention Center Matt York Matt York

Trump spoke after Vice President Mike Pence and others called repeatedly for unity.

Housing Secretary Ben Carson and Dr Alveda King, the niece of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, were among the openers. Franklin Graham, son of the evangelist Billy Graham, led the rally-goers in prayer, saying, “We’re divided racially, and we’re adrift morally”.

Trump teased a pardon for former sheriff Joe Arpaio, asking the crowd what they thought of him. Loud cheers erupted. The former Maricopa County sheriff is awaiting sentencing after his conviction in federal court for disobeying court orders to stop his immigration patrols.

“So was Sheriff Joe convicted for doing his job?” Trump asked.

“I’ll make a prediction: I think he’s going to be just fine.”

Earlier, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump wouldn’t discuss or take action on a pardon “at any point today,” even though the president had told Fox News he was considering it.

Trump said at the rally that the only reason he wouldn’t pardon Arpaio from the stage was to avoid controversy for the moment.

In the comfort of his most fervent fans, Trump often resurrects his free-wheeling 2016 campaign style, pinging insults at perceived enemies such as the media and meandering from topic to topic without a clear theme. Although Trump’s high-profile warm-up acts suggested the president’s speech would be about unity, the president was more intent on settling scores. And the tone of the event took on a combative tone.

At one point, the president threatened to shut down the federal government unless Congress, mired in gridlock over spending bills, agrees to provide funding for the border wall he wants to have built between the United States and Mexico.

Trump told the crowd, he said he has a message for “obstructionist” Democrats.

“If we have to close down our government, we’re building that wall.”

He skewered both of Arizona’s Republican senators – but coyly refused to mention their names, describing his own restraint as “very presidential”.

Instead, Trump bemoaned that the Senate was only “one vote away” from passing a health care overhaul. Senator John McCain, who is undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer, voted against a Republican health care bill.

Trump Protests People protest outside the Phoenix Convention Center Matt York Matt York

Trump called another unnamed senator “weak on borders, weak on crime”. Trump has lashed out at Senator Jeff Flake, a frequent critic, using the same language in the past.

The president tweeted last week: “Great to see that Dr Kelli Ward is running against Flake, who is weak on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He’s toxic!”

Flake has been on tour promoting his book that says the Republican Party’s embrace of Trump has left conservatism withering.

Ward attended Trump’s rally but did not appear on stage.

In a modest but telling swipe at Ward – and, by extension, at Trump – the Senate Leadership Fund, a political committee closely aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, is spending $10,000 on digital ads that say of her, “Not conservative, just crazy ideas”.

Trump began his Arizona visit with a brief trip to the southern edge of the country.

While touring a Marine Corps base in Yuma that is a hub of operations for the US Border Patrol, Trump inspected a drone and other border equipment on display in a hangar.

Read: Gardaí use batons and pepper spray to break up massive wedding brawl in Westmeath

More: FactCheck: Are there really only 10,000 undocumented Irish in the USA?

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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:17 AM

    Another day, another mindless Trump story. Don’t we have our own country to run?

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    Mute Ivan Truckrcar
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:20 AM

    @john Appleseed: our own country to ruin?

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    Mute Coner Willis
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:31 AM

    @john Appleseed: The media’s job isn’t to run the country. The media’s job is to report on whats happening in the world. This includes writing about the President of the USA, arguably the most influential person in the world. They are just doing their job.

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    Mute John003
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:41 AM

    All the media go is speak truth to power….They have no agenda on their own on any subject………Apart from suffering from Trump Derangment Syndrome.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:58 AM

    @john Appleseed: did you mean to say “another day another story about mindless Trump” ?

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    Mute iohanx
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:00 AM

    @Ivan Truckrcar: get a grip

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    Mute Brian Guilfoyle
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:01 AM

    @John003: Also this is an AP story so didn’t take them any time to write

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:11 AM

    @john Appleseed: The most powerful man in the world is clearly unhinged, which has the potential to affect us all. It’s not a pointless story I’m afraid.

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    Mute Gary
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:17 AM

    @john Appleseed: You’re right, I wish Leo Varadkar would stop writing these articles about Trump.

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    Mute Ivan Truckrcar
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 9:07 AM

    @iohanx: ok , now what do I do?

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 9:45 AM

    @john Appleseed: I agree 100%, every time this fool appears on TV I switch channel’s. I’d prefer to be listening to Kim North Nut.

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    Mute Joshua Walsh
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:20 AM

    The media are living off Trump, he’s the biggest story in town. Clickbait for the masses. For all the negative articles against him, they probably couldn’t survive without him.

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    Mute Andy K
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:37 AM

    @Joshua Walsh: Well, its not like he has set himself up for any positive articles about him……

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    Mute Joshua Walsh
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:45 AM

    @Andy K: Completely agree, but even if he have a 5000 word speech in which he might have said something right and un-PC the press would take a 5 word quote and use it to fit their agenda and motif. I don’t like Trump myself but somewhere in his criticism of the press there is a valid point, he just doesn’t have the ability to convey it.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:56 AM

    @Joshua Walsh: stop trying to be an apologist for him, he’s the architect of his own media coverage. Respect is earned not granted so he needs to start behaving like a leader

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    Mute Just2Comment
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 9:45 AM

    @Joshua Walsh: Yes because there was absolutely no news of any kind ever before Trump ran for president and absolutely nothing is ever going to happen ever again once his presidency is over. Ever.

    Calm down with the exaggeration.

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    Mute Mel Fitzpatrick
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:20 AM

    What a reprehensible character

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:48 AM

    @Mel Fitzpatrick: an absolutely obnoxious human being devoid of any trace of humanity.

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    Mute Mark Mcloughlin
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 9:39 AM

    @Mel Fitzpatrick: Hero*

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    Mute Tomás Ó Tiocair
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 12:18 PM
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 5:08 PM

    @Tomás Ó Tiocair: interesting, an opinion piece from a FOX contributor that insults everyone on the left. 74% of domestic terrorism in the US 2007-2016 was right wing. 24% Islamic and 2% left wing/other. But yeah, you’re totally right, it’s the same size of a problem. Don’t leave your bubble whatever you do.

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    Mute Emmet Dillane
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:57 AM

    ‘Protesters clash?’
    Antifa activists on the loose again. Amazing really that the article completely managed to avoid any mention of them.

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    Mute The Dunes Of Inchy
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:31 AM

    That sheriff was convicted for refusing to follow a federal judge’s order to stop violating the 4th Amendment.And as well,I always thought that he said that Mexico was paying for that ‘beautiful wall ‘:)

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:59 AM

    @The Dunes Of Inchy: he’s did, he’s what Americans call a “scofflaw”.

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    Mute Awkward Seal
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:20 AM

    In the face of a terrorist attack Trump was wrong to condemn “many sides” instead of the specific attack. But of course he’s not incorrect, just his timing was wrong. There’s been plenty of violence from both the alt-right and the alt-left. In fact I’d say the election of Trump is what set the alt-left off as from an impartial perspective it seems they’re the ones that started it.

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    Mute Lily Martin
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:12 AM

    A great leader unites the people. Meanwhile, way, way, waaay over on the other end of the spectrum there’s Donald.

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    Mute Paul Watchorn
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:23 AM

    I’m fascinated by him. He’s clearly a global embarrassment. I’m just a rubber necker at a car crash.

    What crazy will he do next?

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    Mute Atheos Euripides
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:47 AM

    No one believes you Donald.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:51 AM

    @Atheos Euripides: I doubt he believes himself, he’s just playing the ignorant and gullible.

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    Mute The Dunes Of Inchy
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:57 AM

    @Boganity: He just had to get down with the white hood ..

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:10 AM

    @The Dunes Of Inchy: he’s playing the angry old white demographic

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 7:42 AM

    Basically it was a do-over. He edited his own speech to leave out parts that caused contention so he could tell his Base he never said it. Trump Defends Charlottesville Comments At Phoenix Rally http://n.pr/2v24a2T

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:40 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe: I assume you think that his base are a little lacking in the intelligence department for your explanation to make any sense.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 8:49 AM

    @lavbeer: not at all. They believe what he says to them directly

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 9:24 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe: per

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 9:27 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe: perhaps you underestimate his base. I suspect most would agree with him about both sides causing trouble. Probably aimed at the wider audience.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 9:54 AM

    @lavbeer: I’m not even commenting on his base. They’re perfectly entitled to choose who they believe.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 5:09 PM

    @lavbeer: by the way 74% of domestic terrorism in the last 10 year in the US has been right wing

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    Mute Anthony Ross
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 10:45 AM

    This is what bozo trump wants like a 2year old center of attention

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 23rd 2017, 12:17 PM

    Stupid behaviour from those throwing rocks, there’s a way to protest and that’s not it. Fu(king wasters

    10
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