‘Fascism At Our Door’: Outrage Grows After Trump Refuses To Denounce White Supremacy

Topline

After President Trump said he “would” denounce white supremacy during Tuesday night’s presidential debate, he fell short of doing so—instead telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”—and ignited outrage over what many politicians, academics and others view as a grievous misstep during a precarious moment in U.S. history.

President Trump's comments on white supremacy drew fire and fury from all corners of the internet.

SAUL LOEB/AFP

Key Facts

Here’s what happened during the debate, when moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump if he would condemn white supremacists, a moment drawing swift backlash that’s been growing overnight:

“This is fascism at our door,” tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y), bluntly stating, “Donald Trump is a white supremacist,” while tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian wrote, “This is not normal, America.”

“Denouncing white supremacy matters,” tweeted Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., while anti-racism Ibram X. Kendi said Trump’s instructions for the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” was the “line of the night.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, tweeted that it would not “stand down to hate groups,” and the Anti-Defamation League, which works against the defamation of Jewish people, has demanded an apology or explanation from Trump.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said Trump “must be defeated” because of that debate moment, and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., tweeted that “Donald Trump won't condemn white supremacists because he is one.”

“When you are a racist, you tell them to ‘stand back and stand by,’” pastor and civil rights activist Bishop Talbert Swan wrote on Twitter, while Franciscan friar and theologian Daniel Horan tweeted “You cannot be #Prolife and refuse to condemn white supremacists.”

“It was beyond embarrassing, it was downright shameful,” tweeted Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, while actress Mindy Kaling made it simple: “I denounce white supremacy! See that was so easy.”

Crucial Quote

“The President of the United States energized Neo Nazi White Supremacists by refusing to denounce them and telling them to Stand Back and Stand By,” wrote NBC News reporter Andrea Mitchell on Twitter. “Within an hour they had new shoulder patches designed. Think about that.”

Chief Critic

Biden. By Wednesday morning, he released a video on his Twitter account:

Key Background

Tuesday night’s presidential debate has been blasted by lawmakers, academics, the media and others as the worst in U.S. history for its quick descent into chaos, cross-talk and insults from (mostly) Trump. The condemnation Trump drew for failing to denounce white supremacy—and instead giving a shout-out to the far-right Proud Boys, a group tied to violence against peaceful protesters—is seen as the event’s low point. Some conservatives on Twitter pointed to the debate transcript as evidence that Trump would have made his denouncement clear, had Wallace and Biden not interrupted him. As of Wednesday morning, however, that opinion is firmly in the minority, with the overwhelming majority of criticism aimed at Trump and his spoiled-brat bullying and heckling.

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