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After the election, Trump claimed his margin of victory in the
Electoral College was the largest ever, when actually it was mod-
est by historical standards. He insisted his loss in the popular
vote was due to millions of illegal ballots cast for Hillary Clin-
ton, although neither he nor anyone else ever provided proof of
this. He asserts that his economic plan has created the greatest
turnaround in American history, although he inherited a growing
Controversy in Charlottesville
Trump’s refusal to back down when challenged by critics often leads to more
controversy. One episode early in Trump’s presidency drew accusations of rac-
ism from Trump’s opponents. In August 2017 neo-Nazi and white supremacist
groups held a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The rally began
as a protest against removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.
However, the far-right groups were intent on spreading a message of hate,
marching with torches and chanting racist and anti-Semitic slogans. Counter-
protesters, including black-clad members of Antifa (for “antifascist”), gathered
to oppose the racist marchers. Confrontation turned to violence, and one of the
neo-Nazis ran his car into the crowd, killing a young female counterprotester. In
his comments on the incident, Trump blamed both groups for the violence. He
also said, “But you also had people that were very ne people on both sides.”
Even members of Trump’s own party expressed outrage about his statement.
However, Trump partisans believe the president has been treated unfairly
on Charlottesville. They point out that his remarks on “very ne people” were
followed by this: “And I’m not talking about the Neo-Nazis and the White na-
tionalists, because they should be condemned totally.” Regardless, the Charlot-
tesville incident continues to cloud his term in of ce. Former vice president Joe
Biden, in announcing his run for the White House, pointed to Trump’s words
after Charlottesville as the de ning moment of his presidency.
Quoted in James S. Robbins, “Trump’s Charlottesville Comments Twisted by Joe Biden and the Media,”
USA Today
, April 26, 2019.
.
