Politics
14:59, 26-Aug-2017
US Republican National Committee condemns white supremacy
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The Republican National Committee on Friday unanimously approved a resolution condemning white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and Nazis, two weeks after President Donald Trump's controversial comments on Charlottesville violence.
"The racist beliefs of Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and other like-minded groups are completely inconsistent with the Republican Party's platform," said the resolution.
The decision by the city council of Charlottesville, Virginia to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a local public park sparked a white supremacist rally on August 12 that later turned into violent clashes between rival protesters.
People gather for a vigil in response to the death of a counter-demonstrator at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, outside the White House on August 13, 2017. /Reuters Photo
People gather for a vigil in response to the death of a counter-demonstrator at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, outside the White House on August 13, 2017. /Reuters Photo
A 32-year-old woman was killed and 19 others were injured when a sports car driven by a suspected Nazi supporter plowed into a crowd protesting white supremacism. Two state troopers also died on that day in a helicopter crash after helping monitor the rally, demonstrations and clashes.
Trump has been under widespread bipartisan criticism after claiming there is "blame on both sides" for the deadly violence.
However, the Republican official political arm avoided any criticism of Trump.
"The racist beliefs of the Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and others are repulsive, evil, and have no fruitful place in the United States," the committee said on the final day of a three-day meeting in Nashville, the southern state of Tennessee.
Local analysts said the move highlights the level of concern within the party over Trump's comments on the protests against the white supremacists' rally in Charlottesville and the impact they could have on the party heading into the 2018 midterm elections.
"You can't emphatically denounce the groups enough. You have to do it by name, you have to do it specifically," Virginia Republican Party Chairman John Whitbeck underlined.
"If nothing else, you want some leadership coming out of this. We're the national party," he said.
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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency