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The president engaged in a wild back-and-forth with reporters during a press conference on Tuesday.
President Trump, at a press conference on Tuesday, doubled down on his first comments on the Charlottesville attack by a white supremacist that claimed the life of a young woman.
Here are the three most important takeaways from the press conference:
Both sides: The president laid the blame for the violence at the feet of both sides in Charlottesville who came prepared for a fight. “What about the fact that [leftists] came charging with clubs in their hands, swinging clubs? Do they have any problem? I think they do,” Trump said.
“Alt-Left”: Trump labeled violent left-wing protesters in Charlottesville as the “alt-left.” He used the term to counteract a question from a reporter about his views on the “alt-right.” Trump asked the reporter to define “alt-right” before criticizing the leftists.
Statues: The president seemed to criticize decisions to tear down confederate statues, asking if the United States would tear down statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson as well, due to their slave-owning status.