'It's Actually Terrorism': Scaramucci Says Trump Should Have Spoken Out Against White Supremacists
- 7 years ago
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said on Sunday that President Trump should have had a "much harsher" message for white supremacists.
Anthony Scaramucci has criticized President Trump for not making a strong enough statement about the violence that erupted as white nationalists gathered for a large rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
On ABC News’ “This Week” Sunday, the former White House communications director told host George Stephanopoulos, “I wouldn’t have recommended that statement. I think he needed to be much harsher as it related to the white supremacists and the nature of that.”
Trump had said Saturday, in part, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides. It's been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. This has been going on for a long, long time.”
Scaramucci also told Stephanopoulos, “I applaud [national security adviser] General McMaster for calling it out for what it is--is actually terrorism, and whether it’s domestic or international terrorism, with the moral authority of the presidency, you have to call that stuff out.”
McMaster had said earlier on the news program, “I certainly think any time that you commit an attack against people to incite fear, it is terrorism. It meets the definition of terrorism.”
But McMaster also defended Trump’s statement, telling Stephanopoulos, “What the president did is he called out anyone, anyone who is responsible for fomenting this kind of bigotry, hatred, racism, and violence. And I think the president was very clear on that.”
However, even conservatives have publicly criticized Trump for not taking a stronger stance; Florida Senator Marco Rubio tweeted, “Very important for the nation to hear @potus describe events in #Charlottesville for what they are, a terror attack by #whitesupremacists.”
Meanwhile, a National Review op-ed stated, in part, “...[Trump] did denounce bigotry and hatred. But...it was mealy-mouthed and wrong not to specifically name and slam the white supremacists whose march was the precipitating event here.”
Thus far, three deaths related to the event have been reported along with many injured.
Anthony Scaramucci has criticized President Trump for not making a strong enough statement about the violence that erupted as white nationalists gathered for a large rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
On ABC News’ “This Week” Sunday, the former White House communications director told host George Stephanopoulos, “I wouldn’t have recommended that statement. I think he needed to be much harsher as it related to the white supremacists and the nature of that.”
Trump had said Saturday, in part, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides. It's been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. This has been going on for a long, long time.”
Scaramucci also told Stephanopoulos, “I applaud [national security adviser] General McMaster for calling it out for what it is--is actually terrorism, and whether it’s domestic or international terrorism, with the moral authority of the presidency, you have to call that stuff out.”
McMaster had said earlier on the news program, “I certainly think any time that you commit an attack against people to incite fear, it is terrorism. It meets the definition of terrorism.”
But McMaster also defended Trump’s statement, telling Stephanopoulos, “What the president did is he called out anyone, anyone who is responsible for fomenting this kind of bigotry, hatred, racism, and violence. And I think the president was very clear on that.”
However, even conservatives have publicly criticized Trump for not taking a stronger stance; Florida Senator Marco Rubio tweeted, “Very important for the nation to hear @potus describe events in #Charlottesville for what they are, a terror attack by #whitesupremacists.”
Meanwhile, a National Review op-ed stated, in part, “...[Trump] did denounce bigotry and hatred. But...it was mealy-mouthed and wrong not to specifically name and slam the white supremacists whose march was the precipitating event here.”
Thus far, three deaths related to the event have been reported along with many injured.