Sen. Tim Scott praised President Trump’s denouncement of hate groups Monday, but said the remarks would have had more gravitas had he made them shortly after the violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.
Scott, the only African-American Republican in the Senate, said Trump’s latest remarks were “clear and specific.”
“However, they would have been more impactful on Saturday,” the South Carolina Republican said Monday. “I hope this serves as a lesson for all that when a community grieves, when Americans look for guidance after such a crushing and devastating attack like the one that unraveled this weekend in Charlottesville, we must take a firm stance against hate and violence.”
Scott acknowledged Americans may disagree on many issues, but most share the “hope for a brighter future, void of racism and hatred.”
Earlier, Scott was part of a chorus of Republicans urging Trump to name and condemn the KKK, neo-Nazis and other white supremacists groups.
“Domestic terror in #Charlottesville must be condemned by every.single.one.of.us. Otherwise hate is simply emboldened,” Scott tweeted on Sunday.
My statement on #Charlottesville: pic.twitter.com/u0ETKWKWOl
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) August 14, 2017
Domestic terror in #Charlottesville must be condemned by https://t.co/3gbI2ZFxr5. Otherwise hate is simply emboldened.
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) August 12, 2017
