Charlottesville mayor: Trump "bringing to light" hate in America
A year after violence sparked by white supremacists in Charlottesville claimed the life of a young civil rights activist and touched off a national conversation about race relations, the city's new mayor, Nikuyah Walker, says she is still so personally angered by President Trump that she has not been able to bring herself to even refer to him by name. The mayor holds him responsible for encouraging the rise of hate in America.
"It's clear from the action of this president, 45 -- that's probably the first time I've said 'president' with this administration -- that a lot of the hate that we're dealing with, he's bringing to light," Walker said in an interview with "Face the Nation" that will air Sunday.
"While it's good for people to be out in the open, we have to make sure that there is resistance to letting that thrive," Walker continued.
"And you think you're part of that resistance?" asked "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan.
"Definitely," the mayor responded. "Definitely a piece of that puzzle."
Walker, the first African American woman elected Mayor of Charlottesville, took office in January 2018. It was less than five months after a group of white supremacists descended on the Virginia college town to protest the planned removal of a statue of confederate leader Robert E. Lee. Violent clashes between the white nationalists and counter-protesters ensued, and a 23-year-old counter-protester, Heather Heyer, was killed.
Since becoming mayor, Walker said, she hasn't heard from any Trump administration officials about the violence last August. And she's not interested in hearing from them now. "Not this particular White House," she said.