The Trump campaign is calling out President Biden and his team for promoting a “lie” regarding a claim that then-President Trump spoke favorably of neo-Nazis in 2017. Snopes, a left-leaning fact-checking website, recently published a report debunking this claim. They clarified that Trump did not refer to neo-Nazis as “very fine people” after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. This fact check aligns with Trump’s argument that his remarks were taken out of context and spread by the left and media.
The protests in Charlottesville in 2017, which involved White nationalists and counterprotesters, resulted in violence and condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans. Trump initially stated that such protests and violence had “no place in America.” He also urged condemnation of the “egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides.” However, he faced criticism for later remarks suggesting there were “very fine people, on both sides.” Biden has used this event, and his interpretation of Trump’s response, as a motivation for running for the White House in 2020.
Biden has repeatedly highlighted the events in Charlottesville as a moment of national shame, emphasizing the need to confront hate and stand against bigotry. He has framed these protests as a battle for the soul of America. However, Biden faced criticism for his own “Charlottesville moment” when addressing anti-Israel protests on college campuses, where he condemned antisemitic protests while also acknowledging those who support Palestinians. Critics compared these statements to Trump’s remarks in 2017, suggesting similarities in the rhetoric.
The Trump campaign’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, urged Biden’s team to end any advertising that perpetuates the false claim about Trump’s comments on neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. Leavitt emphasized that this narrative was part of a pattern of hoaxes and lies pushed by the left and the media to smear President Trump. The fact check from Snopes supports the argument that Trump’s remarks were taken out of context and wrongly attributed to him.
As the first debate between Trump and Biden approached, the fact check from Snopes created a new dynamic in the ongoing debate surrounding the events in Charlottesville. Trump’s initial condemnation of the hatred, bigotry, and violence in the protests was reiterated, along with his clarification that he was not referring to neo-Nazis as “very fine people.” Biden’s repeated use of Charlottesville as a rallying cry in his political campaigns has now been called into question, as the accuracy of his interpretation of the events is challenged.
The controversy surrounding Trump’s alleged comments about neo-Nazis in Charlottesville continues to be a point of contention between the Trump and Biden campaigns. As both sides seek to clarify their positions and narratives, the fact check from Snopes adds a new dimension to the debate. Trump’s team has seized on the report to denounce what they call a “hoax” perpetuated by Democrats and the media, urging Biden to cease promoting the false claim. The implications of this fact check and its impact on the upcoming debates and the election remain to be seen.
