Ahead of the NRA convention Friday, President Donald Trump tried to justify his comments that there had been "fine people on both sides" in Charlottesville.
“I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general,” Trump told a reporter.
“People were there protesting the taking down of the monument of Robert E. Lee,” who, Trump said, was “one of the great generals.
Everybody knows that,” the president said.
White House advisor Kellyanne Conway appeared on CNN's Michael Smerconish Show Saturday to try explain the President's comments.
"The President said 'racism is evil'" Conway claimed. "And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs." Conway insisted that the President had not been talking about White supremacists when he referred to fine people on both sides.
When Smerconish pressed her on why the President lauded protestors who'd stood alongside torch-carrying mobs chanting "Jews will not replace us," Conway pivoted to Joe Biden's announcement video, in which he referenced the events at Charlottesville.
"You want to revisit the way Joe Biden wants to re-visit, respectfully," Conway then said, in an odd pivot. "Because he doesn't want to be held to account for his record or lack thereof. I found his announcement video to be an unfortunate missed opportunity, but also just very dark and spooky ... he's taking us ... he doesn't have a vision for the future."
