Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe to white nationalists in Charlottesville: Go home
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe decried the supporters of white nationalism who descended upon Charlottesville during a press conference Saturday, after protests there left one dead and more than 30 injured in clashes earlier in the day.
"You pretend that you are patriots, but you are anything but a patriot," McAuliffe, flanked by Charlottesville's mayor and police chief, said in a message to white nationalists.
"We are stronger than you," the Democratic governor added. "You have made our commonwealth stronger. You will not succeed. There is no place for you here."
McAuliffe said he had spoken to President Trump earlier in the day. Mr. Trump declined to name white supremacists or any specific group, saying violence "on many sides" was to blame. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado), urged the president to "call evil by its name," and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah followed with similarly tough statements.
Mr. Trump ignored a question from a reporter as to what he would say to white supremacists who voiced support for him Saturday.
The already-violent protests turned deadly when a car plowed into a sea of counter-protesters Saturday. The incident -- which is being treated as a criminal homicide investigation -- left an unidentified 32-year-old woman dead and 19 others injured. An additional 15 people were hurt in separate incidents.
"This day will not define us," Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer said.
The "Unite the Right" rally was originally supposed to protest the removal of a statute of confederate General Robert E. Lee.
