After Tuesday night’s presidential debate, Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declared that President Donald Trump is a white supremacist.
AOC’s comments follow Trump’s exchange with debate moderator Chris Wallace, who asked Trump to condemn white supremacist groups.
“Donald Trump is a white supremacist,” AOC tweeted.
“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,” she added.
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
President Trump Has Roundly Condemned White Supremacists In The Past
Wallace implied that Trump never condemned white supremacists despite the fact that the President has done so in the past.
Trump said after the racially-charged chaos in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, “Racism is evil, and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups.”
The President also also signed a congressional resolution that roundly condemned “racism, bigotry and white supremacy.”
Yet Wallace still asked Trump to condemn racist right-wing groups, as the President said that most of the current violence in cities across the country was being carried out by left-wing groups.
Trump Condemned White Supremacists At The Debate
Wallace said to Trump Tuesday, “You have repeatedly criticized the vice president for not specifically calling out Antifa and other left-wing extremist groups. But are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists and militia group and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland?”
“Sure, I’m willing to do that,” Trump replied.
This reply from the President seemed to be glossed over by most in the media during the debate coverage on Wednesday.
People are missing that when Wallace asked if Trump would condemn white supremacists HE SPECIFICALLY ASKED Trump to tell them to “stand down.”
Trump said “sure” 3x and then used Wallace’s OWN WORDS to tell Proud Boys to “stand down.”
WATCH THE CLIP ⬇️pic.twitter.com/E8wRrpJaDX
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) September 30, 2020
Muddled Messaging Exploited By The Media
Wallace followed up with Trump, “Are you prepared specifically to do it?”
Trump responded, “I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing not from the right wing.”
“But what are you saying?” Wallace asked.
“I’m willing to do anything,” Trump said. “I want to see peace.”
Wallace insisted, “Well, do it, sir.”
Biden chimed in “Say it, do it, say it.”
Trump replied, “What do you want to call them? Give me a name, give me a name, go ahead who do you want me to condemn.”
Wallace said, “White supremacists and right-wing militia.”
What Trump said next was what most focused on post-debate.
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump said.
Wallace: “Are you willing to condemn white supremacists?”
Trump: “Sure.”
Wallace: “And to say that they need to stand down”
Trump: “Sure, I’m prepared to do it. Give me a name.”
Biden: “Proud Boys.”
Trump: “Proud Boys, stand back & stand by.”
THAT’s the truth. MSM is lying.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) October 1, 2020
“But I’ll tell you what somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem; this is a left wing,” Trump continued.
Despite Trump initially saying he would condemn white supremacists, the jumbled messaging allowed critics to paint the President as a racist.
With AOC being – as always – a vocal part of that pack.