Trump wanted facts before calling out racists. When I was on trial, he didnt care.

[spanone]

In President Trump’s instantly infamous Tuesday news conference at Trump Tower, he blasted critics of his slow, equivocating response to Saturday’s deadly events in Charlottesville by furiously insisting that one reason for the delay in issuing a statement about the tragedy was that “you don’t make statements that direct unless you know the facts. It takes a little while to get the facts. You still don’t know the facts. And it’s a very, very important process to me and it’s an important statement. So I don’t want to go quickly, and just make a statement for the sake of making a political statement.”

He’s got a point: When someone is accused of a crime, or of inciting the kind of violence we saw last week in Charlottesville, we should gather the facts and carefully evaluate them before rushing to lay blame.

But here’s the thing: I’m one of the Central Park Five. When we were falsely accused of sexual assault, Trump had no qualms about jumping to conclusions.

...As I wrote last year: “When we were arrested, the police deprived us of food, drink and sleep for more than 24 hours.” Under duress, false confessions were made. “Though we were innocent, we spent our formative years in prison, branded as rapists. During our trial, it seemed like every New Yorker had an opinion. But no one took it further than Trump. He called for blood in the most public way possible. Trump used his money to take out full-page ads in all of the city’s major newspapers, urging the reinstatement of the death penalty in New York.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/08/18/trump-said-he-was-waiting-for-the-facts-on-charlottesville-when-i-was-on-trial-he-didnt/?utm_term=.9cc4ec7010b9

[flibbitygiblets]

1. All true. Except trump lied about "wanting facts "

In the Charlottesville case. That was an excuse for why he was staying silent, (which we all know was because he didn't want to lose his racist base).

This article does (yet another) brilliant job of pointing out trump's long history of barely concealed racism. My heart goes out to this man.

[Wounded Bear]

4. I believe that is the point...

[zentrum]

2. That episode

...was such a disgusting, tragic travesty.

[SHRED]

3. He's a filthy and disgusting POS

And those are his qualities.

[usedtobedemgurl]

5. A Person Should Not Need Facts....

to say that anyone who is bigoted or a racist is wrong. He did not have to say every single person is wrong, but he could have stated that hate and racism are wrong. Or does he think he needs more research to make sure that is true?????

[Caliman73]

9. Actually, the FACT that a person is bigoted or racist fits the criteria for being Wrong.

A person should always have the best available information before making judgement. If I walk into a room and hear a White friend of mine using the n word toward a Black friend in said room, I can certainly jump in and denounce their racism and kick him out of my house, OR I can wait and get the context, that they are possibly practicing lines in a play about racial tensions, or talking about what the White friend witnessed somewhere that offended him. Obviously if our Black friend reacts in an aggrieved manner and is offended, then I would have information needed to decide that the incident was in FACT the White friend using racial slurs in my house, and I would react appropriately.

The above scenario is just an exercise to show that we absolutely should have FACTS before we say something.

It doesn't apply however to Trump because Trump had the facts. He simply does not agree with the facts. He sides with White Supremacy and racism. He always has. Any statement that he has made to the contrary has been forced or faked to maintain the facade of respectability and whatever thin legitimacy he thinks he has. Trump showed quickly after his statements, who he really is by attacking the media, then by basically retracting his Monday forced statement and jumping fully aboard with the White Supremacists and Nazis.

One more thing. He absolutely had to name names. Not individual names, but saying that the KKK, Nazis, and White Supremacy are bad, is not controversial for anyone except those groups, and that is because Trump has provided cover and tacit support to those groups and that idea for the majority of his life.

[usedtobedemgurl]

13. *Sigh* Not sure why you feel someone needs more fact to decide racism is wrong....

Because that is what I said. I did not say in this instance only but that is what I was alluding to. Are you saying there were no Nazis or Alt-Right folks at this event? There were no swastikas? Because I did not say he did not need research on anything else, although it is sure as heck weird how he did not need more research on the Central Park Five but this needs research.

So keep my comment on topic, please and do not change it to something I NEVER said. I did not say he did not need to research anything. What I actually said is he should not need research to say that things like racism are wrong.

He has not said this since he first started running. He has not even hinted at it. He could have come out and said that racism, by Nazis, or any other group, is wrong. Are you honestly telling me this is a bad statement and needs research? My mind is about to explode. That is all I said. Instead of saying hate is wrong, he said there are good people on both sides. This is not leadership and it is long overdue, in my opinion, that he say racism is wrong. I am sorry if you do not agree. I never said a single thing about condemning actions but I certainly could have. I said he should unequivocally say hate and racism are wrong.

Without doing research, I can tell you (I have heard the experts on the news) that he is doing harm. The people who do hate, and want to cause our brothers and sisters harm, are emboldened by him not coming out and saying racism and hate are wrong.

[meow2u3]

6. Since when did Trump ever wait for facts before spewing his pack of lies?!

His claim that he was waiting for facts for him to call out racists is a crock of shit and he knows it.

[pat_k]

7. How out of character. DT is usually so measured and prudent.

NOT!

[Cal Carpenter]

8. It is nice to see that Yusef Salaam has made it so far since then

because even with the eventual exoneration, he was in prison for years starting when he was so young. That's the kind of shit that fucks people up for life.

And now he's getting published in WaPo with a righteous call out of mr racist-shit-for-brains.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

10. One of the many, many things that should have prevented every American

from voting for this walking pile of everything hateful and horrific.

[malaise]

11. Anyone who bought the BS that the Con ever gave a rat's ass about facts

should checkout the 'birther' bullshit. He made it up.

[Solly Mack]

12. K&R