The White House joined the chorus of some Republicans criticizing former US President Donald Trump for having dinner with white supremacist Nick Fuentes on Monday, saying there is no place for “vile forces” like racism, fanaticism and antisemitism in the US.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters she would not comment on all of Trump’s actions, who said she would run for president again this month, but said it was critical to condemn such behavior “in truly absolute terms.”
“There is no place for such vile forces in our society,” he told reporters. “When you say things like that, when you don’t speak out against such vindictive and dangerous comments… that in itself is incredibly dangerous.”
Trump said the meeting at his Mar-A-Lago, Florida residence was unintentional, but drew rare criticism from other Republicans, including Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson, who accused Trump of fueling extremism.
Earlier this month, Trump said he plans to seek the Republican nomination to run for the White House again in 2024, although he may face opponents in that nomination, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Fuentes was identified as a white supremacist by the US Department of Justice and attended a rally in Washington on January 6, 2021, before Trump supporters attacked the Capitol. The Anti-Defamation League said that Fuentes once “jokingly denied” the Holocaust and compared the Jews burned in concentration camps to cookies in the oven.
The White House criticized Trump on Sunday, saying that “biography, hatred and anti-Semitism have absolutely no place in America – including Mar-A-Lago.”
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.