Washington, DC – In response to the violence in Charlottesville today, Truman Project President and CEO Michael Breen issued the following statement:
“The loss of life in Charlottesville today is heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with those whose loved ones were traumatized, hurt, and even killed by white supremacists. The leadership of Michael Signer, Mayor of Charlottesville and long-time leader in the Truman community, in this trying time is commendable.”
“The enabling and emboldening of right wing extremism is an issue of national security. Marches by torchlight make Americans fear for the lives of themselves and their families. Hateful mobs threaten to tear our communities apart. And now, we see attacks on peaceful counter-protestors that are as vile and as cowardly as those of any other terrorist.”
“Pluralism is not only a moral good but strategic asset to the United States, and it is incumbent on our leaders to make that argument. President Trump's response to the events in Charlottesville are a vague, pitiful half-effort at best, and a deliberate attempt to avoid condemning his supporters among the instigators at worst. He has had no problem denouncing protestors against his administration and agenda with vigor and specificity; he must do so for this actual threat to law and order now.”
Truman Project urges President Trump to take a series of steps to signal his intent to take this threat seriously:
- The president should issue a full statement by video explicitly condemning the white nationalist, KKK, Nazi, alt-right, and other racist groups and individuals as responsible for the violence in Charlottesville.
- Countering Violent Extremism funding for programs that prevent violence driven by hateful ideologies, which President Trump's Department of Homeland Security has taken steps to cut since February, should be re-prioritized by the administration immediately. This should be complimented by Attorney General Jeff Sessions issuing clear guidance to the Department of Justice identifying white nationalist terrorism as a top priority alongside other counterterrorism work.
- And finally, Stephen Bannon, former executive chair of Breitbart News (in his words, the “platform for the alt-right”) and Sebastian Gorka, who earlier this week attacked the media for discussing white supremacist hate and is himself linked to a Hungarian Nazi-affiliated organization, should be fired from their White House positions and no longer receive taxpayer-funded salaries.
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