Trump Defends Charlottesville Comments At Phoenix Rally

Related Link Trump Reads Aloud 15-Minute Edited Version of Previous Charlottesville Remarks and Calls It a Rally (Slate)

President Trump launched into a lengthy defense of his comments on the violence in Charlottesville, Va., and again derided the news media at an impassioned campaign rally in Phoenix.

He reread a portion of his Saturday, Aug. 12, statement on the violence in Charlottesville, and mocked criticism that he didn't respond quickly enough.

However, in his reading, Trump left out a few words in his statement that had drawn the most criticism — his claim that there was hatred, bigotry and violence "on many sides." Many interpreted that as the president putting white nationalists and counterprotesters on equal footing. Trump read his Saturday statement as "we're closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence."