No, Trump Did Not Name Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists 'Very Wonderful Folks'

Reporter: Mr. President, are you placing what you are calling the alt-left and white supremacists on the identical ethical airplane?

Trump: I’m not placing anyone on an ethical airplane, what I am saying is that this: You had a gaggle on one facet and a gaggle on the opposite, and so they got here at one another with golf equipment and it was vicious and horrible and it was a horrible factor to observe, however there’s one other facet. There was a gaggle on this facet, you may name them the left. You’ve got simply known as them the left, that got here violently attacking the opposite group. So you may say what you need, however that is the way in which it’s.

Reporter: You stated there was hatred and violence on either side?

Trump: I do suppose there’s blame — sure, I feel there’s blame on either side. You take a look at, you take a look at either side. I feel there’s blame on either side, and I’ve little question about it, and you have no doubt about it both. And, and, and, and if you happen to reported it precisely, you’d say.

Reporter: The neo-Nazis began this factor. They confirmed up in Charlottesville.

Trump: Excuse me, they did not put themselves down as neo-Nazis, and also you had some very dangerous individuals in that group. However you additionally had those who had been very high quality individuals, on either side. You had individuals in that group — excuse me, excuse me, I noticed the identical footage as you probably did — you had individuals in that group that had been there to protest the taking down of, to them, a really crucial statue and the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to a different identify. George Washington was a slave proprietor. Was George Washington a slave proprietor? So will George Washington now lose his standing, are we gonna take down — excuse me — are we gonna take down statues of George Washington? How about Thomas Jefferson? What do you consider Thomas Jefferson? You want him? Okay good. Are we gonna take down the statue? Trigger he was a serious slaveowner. Now are we gonna take down his statue? So you already know what? It is high quality. You are altering historical past, you are altering tradition, and also you had individuals — and I am not speaking concerning the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, as a result of they need to be condemned completely. However you had many individuals in that group aside from neo-Nazis and white nationalists, okay? And the press has handled them completely unfairly. Now, within the different group additionally, you had some high quality individuals, however you additionally had troublemakers, and also you see them include the black outfits, and with the helmets, and the baseball bats, you bought numerous dangerous individuals within the different group too.

Reporter: I am sorry sir, I did not perceive what you had been saying, you had been saying the press has handled white nationalists unfairly? I do not perceive what you are saying.

Trump: No, no. There have been individuals in that rally — and I regarded the night time earlier than — if you happen to look, there have been individuals protesting very quietly the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee. I am certain in that group there was some dangerous ones. The next day it regarded like they’d some tough, dangerous individuals. Neo-Nazis, white nationalists, no matter you wanna name them. However you had lots of people in that group that had been there to innocently protest — and really legally protest — as a result of I do not know if you already know, they’d a allow. The opposite group did not have a allow. So I solely inform you this, there are two sides to a narrative. I believed what came about was a horrible second for our nation. A horrible second. However there are two sides to the nation.