Donald Trump refused to condemn white supremacists – only 7 responses you need

It was the most striking moment of a truly awful first presidential debate. Donald Trump was asked if he would condemn white supremacists and violent rightwing groups and he declined to do so.

Not only that, he addressed the ‘Proud Boys’, a far-right wing group whose members have been sentenced to prison for attacking leftwing protesters in political street fights, and said this.

Chris Wallace: “Are you willing, tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down…”

Trump: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by! But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.” pic.twitter.com/4vrPocKzcu

— Axios (@axios) September 30, 2020

The ‘Proud Boys’ were naturally delighted, as highlighted by @ByMikeBaker on Twitter.

The Proud Boys are ecstatic tonight about getting mentioned in the debate tonight.

"Trump basically said to go fuck them up! this makes me so happy," writes one prominent Proud Boy. pic.twitter.com/hYA7yQVAOn

— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) September 30, 2020

And these are the only 7 responses you need.

bro all they said was “condemn white supremacists” and this man started SWEATING

— Eddy Burback (@eddyburback) September 30, 2020

I feel like you all should have listened when your Black friends told you the President was a racist. But maybe now that he told white supremacists to ‘standby’ you’ll listen.

— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) September 30, 2020

Um, I guess I’ll vote for the guy who didn’t tell white supremacists to stand by?

— Ted Alexandro (@tedalexandro) September 30, 2020

A big night for Trump: he totally nailed down undecided white supremacists once and for all.

— Frank Conniff (@FrankConniff) September 30, 2020

The refusal of the President of the United States to denounce white supremacists on nationwide TV when asked to do so directly, launches us into a new and very, very ominous place.

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) September 30, 2020

Trump can’t bring himself to condemn white supremacists but manages to slip in a reference to the space force.

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) September 30, 2020

Donald Trump won't condemn white supremacists because he is one.

— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) September 30, 2020

To conclude …

Donald Trump is a white supremacist.

People have been warning about this for a long time.

They were ridiculed, called hyperbolic & radical – not bc they were wrong, but bc others couldn’t accept that our country elected a supremacist as President.

This is fascism at our door. https://t.co/sahloCJt25

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 30, 2020

And this.

I'm old enough to remember when the President of the United States was asked to condemn white supremacists and didn't.

it was like 20 minutes ago.

— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) September 30, 2020

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