Snopes’ conclusion that it is “false” to claim Trump called neo-Nazis and white nationalists “very fine people” overlooks the then-president’s use of doublespeak. Trump’s remarks on August 15, 2017, deliberately blurred the lines between condemning and excusing hate groups. By stating that there were “very fine people on both sides,” he equivocated, offering a shield of respectability to an event organized by avowed white supremacists and neo-Nazis. The rally’s context — marked by swastikas, torches, and chants of “Jews will not replace us” — renders any defense of participants as “fine people” indefensible.
I try to avoid posting about the same thing twice in one day, but Parker obviously does a much better job of going through everything Trump actually said and why Snopes completed missed the mark. Given that this is getting picked up so widely by right-wing publications, I think it’s important that we look at the what he said, the context he said it in, and who exactly was there on either “side”.