Aug 14, 2017

Trump condemns “evil” racism after Charlottesville

Evan Vucci / AP

President Trump delivered unscheduled remarks at the White House Monday, where he condemned individuals who committed acts of violence on Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia. He specifically singled out acts of racism as "evil." The statement comes after Trump's meeting with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director Chris Wray.

Key quote: "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 that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans."
"The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the deadly car attack that killed one innocent person and injured 20 others... To anyone who acted criminally in this weekend's racist violence, you will be held accountable."
"No matter the color of our skin, we all live under the same laws. We all salute the same great flag. We are all made by the same almighty God."

Trump's language today went one step further than his initial remarks at his golf club in New Jersey Saturday: "[W]e're closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides."

Go deeper: Axios' Mike Allen and Alexi McCammond break down the Charlottesville chaos and explain how Trump is on the defensive after his oddly measured response.

Watch Trump's statement:

Go deeper

Jacob Knutson

Trump acknowledges lists of disloyal government officials to oust

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump on Monday acknowledged the existence of assembled lists of government officials that his administration plans to oust and replace with trusted pro-Trump people, which were first reported by Axios' Jonathan Swan.

What he's saying: “I don’t think it's a big problem. I don’t think it's very many people,” Trump said during a press conference in India, adding he wants “people who are good for the country, loyal to the country.”

Go deeper44 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Dion Rabouin

Coronavirus only part of the story behind the Dow’s drop

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

As someone has certainly told you by now, the Dow fell by more than 1,000 points yesterday, its worst day in more than two years, erasing all of 2020's gains. Most news headlines assert that the stock market's momentum was finally broken by "coronavirus fears," but that's not the full story.

What's happening: The novel coronavirus has been infecting and killing scores of people for close to a month and, depending on the day, the market has sold off or risen to record highs.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Economy & Business

David Nather

Bernie's historic Jewish fight

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Sen. Bernie Sanders would be the first Jewish presidential nominee of a major American political party — but that history-making possibility is being overshadowed by his conflicts with America's Jewish leaders and Israel's leadership.

The big picture: That's partly because we're all focusing on the implications of Democrats nominating a self-described democratic socialist. It's also because a candidate's religion no longer seems to matter as much to voters or the media, making the potential milestone of a Jewish nominee more of a non-event.

Go deeper3 hours ago - Politics & Policy