Clinton And Biden Give The Forceful Response America Needs As Violence Erupts In Charlottesville

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Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:24 am

As Charlottesville, Virginia was taken over by violence and racism during a white supremacist rally there on Saturday, 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Joe Biden gave the forceful response America needed to hear.

Clinton kicked off a series of tweets, saying her “heart is in Charlottesville today” and concluded by saying, “If this is not who we are as Americans, let’s prove it.”

The full thread of tweets:

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In a post of his own, Biden also had strong words about the outbreak of violent racism in Charlottesville, saying, “No. Not in America.”

The response from two of the most powerful Democratic forces in the country came as Trump refused to condemn white nationalism or label the car attack on counter-protesters an act of terrorism. Instead, he laid the blame on both sides.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides,” the cowardly president said, emphasizing that he is not placing blame on any one group.

But as I wrote a short time ago, Trump’s willingness to ignore what is specifically fueling the outbreak of deadly violence and hatred in Virginia will only give oxygen to those causing it. There is no gray area here, and the president’s weak response today will only make things worse.

For a lesson on how to condemn violence and racism in the strongest possible terms, Trump should refer to the statements made today by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.