Washington: In a TV interview, US President Donald Trump has said that he “condemns all white supremacists”, following controversy over statements he made during the first presidential debate on September 29.
“I’ve said it many times, let me be clear again, I condemn the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys,” the BBC quoted the President as saying on Fox News on Thursday evening
“I don’t know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing, but I condemn that.”
Based in the US with a presence in Canada, Proud Boys are a far-right, neo-fascist, male-only organization with ties to white supremacists that promotes and engages in political violence.
During the debate when Trump was asked whether he would condemn white supremacists and ask them to stand down during protests, the President said: “Proud Boys – stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what… somebody’s got to do something about antifa (anti-fascist activists) and the left because this is not a right-wing problem.”
The following day, the President tried to explain his stance at a White House briefing, saying he did not know who the Proud boys were.
Senior Republican members have also expressed unease over the President’s remarks at the debate, te BBC reported
During his time in office, President Trump has been accused of emboldening far-right groups with his rhetoric while being more willing to openly condemn those on the far-left.
