Fact-check
By Timothy Easling, Contributor
Many news organizations have reported Donald Trump throughout his presidential term as refusing to condemn white supremacy. Yet in contradiction to these many outlets, Trump has repeatedly condemned white supremacy and disavowed any public support offered him from racist organizations.
Agencies such as ABC have commented themselves along with allowing comments from characters such as Joe Biden: “He’s yet once to condemn white supremacy, the neo-Nazis. He hasn’t condemned a darn thing.”
Kamala Harris has also gone on the attack without a fact-check on CNN—among others: “The president of the United States, in the year of our lord 2020, refuses to condemn white supremacists.”
While far from a complete summary of Trump’s public condemnations of racism, here is a collection of quotes from over the years.
“…David Duke just joined. A bigot, a racist, a problem.” – February 14, 2000
“David Duke endorsed me? Okay,
alright, I disavow, okay?” – February 26, 2016
“I’ve disavowed David Duke all weekend long on Facebook, on Twitter, and obviously it’s never enough.” – February 29, 2016
“I totally disavow the Ku Klux Klan. I totally disavow David Duke. Ultimately he got to the Ku Klux Klan, which obviously I’m going to disavow.” -March 3, 2016
CBS’ John Dickerson: “David Duke is saying to his supporters and followers, vote for Donald Trump. White supremacists are saying vote […] do you want those votes?”
Trump: “No, I don’t want them and I don’t want him to say it […] I don’t like any group of hate. Hate groups are not for me. But I have said this before. The press hates me to say it. They just don’t want to pick it up.” – March 6, 2016
“Racism is evil—and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.” – August 14, 2017
“I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and white supremacists because they should be condemned totally.” – August 15, 2017
“In one voice our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy.” – August 5, 2019
“Any group of hate, I don’t like it. Any group of hate, whether it’s white supremacy, whether it’s any other kind of supremacy, whether it’s Antifa, whether it’s any group of hate, I’m very concerned about it and I’ll do something about it.” – August 7, 2019
During the debate, Trump was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and he replied as he had during the many years leading up to the debate: “Sure. I’m willing to do that,” before putting the question in the context that Chris Wallace had asked it (riots over the summer, such as Kenosha): “I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing.”
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