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In the wake of NZ terror attack, Trump says white nationalism is not a rising threat

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President Donald Trump said Friday he does not believe white nationalism is a rising global danger after a suspected gunman who authorities say espoused that ideology massacred 49 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand.

When asked at the White House whether white nationalists were a growing threat around the world, Trump replied: "I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems. It's certainly a terrible thing."

Trump also said he had not seen a manifesto, purportedly from an attacker, that named him as an inspiration for white identity ideology.

The responses by Trump and other U.S. politicians to the Christchurch mosque tragedy divided heavily along partisan lines. While many Republicans de-emphasised the role of white nationalist ideology, some Democrats suggested, either directly or indirectly, that Trump's history of anti-Muslim remarks and policies contributed to the tragedy.


"Time and time again, this president has embraced and emboldened white supremacists - and instead of condemning racist terrorists, he covers for them," tweeted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who is seeking to challenge Trump in 2020. "This isn't normal or acceptable. We have to be better than this."

Like the gunman accused of killing 11 Jewish synagogue-goers in Pittsburgh last September, the suspected mosque shooter in Christchurch allegedly drew inspiration from the rise of white nationalism in America. The 74-page manifesto posted online hailed Trump as a symbol "of renewed white identity and common purpose."

Trump's comments on the attacks came as he vetoed a congressional resolution that sought to block him from declaring a national emergency to build his long-promised wall along the southern border. Trump has repeatedly warned of violent criminals and terrorists coming into the country from Mexico, including claiming without evidence that "Middle Easterns" are sneaking in with asylum seekers over the southern border.

Trump has a long history of derogatory remarks about Muslims, including declaring in 2016 that "Islam hates us." He formally proposed banning all Muslims from entering the United States during the presidential campaign, and since taking office, his administration has implemented policies barring citizens of certain Muslim-majority countries from traveling to the United States.

During the veto signing, Trump referred to people trying to invade the United States as a reason for the wall. The manifesto in the Christchurch attack referred to invasions of foreigners as an existential threat to white civilisation.

John Cohen, a former Homeland Security official in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, said there is concern among law enforcement officials about Trump using such language.

"These white supremacists live in this conspiratorial bizarro world," Cohen said. "They will draw a connection between the use of that language by the person who wrote the manifesto and statements being made by our government. That is what is concerning law enforcement."

The White House issued its first response to the attacks in Christchurch just before 7:30 a.m., followed by a message from Trump on Twitter. Trump spoke later in the day with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to offer his condolences and support.

"My warmest sympathy and best wishes goes out to the people of New Zealand after the horrible massacre in the Mosques. 49 innocent people have so senselessly died, with so many more seriously injured," he wrote. "The U.S. stands by New Zealand for anything we can do. God bless all!"

In the purported manifesto, the alleged shooter wrote that he was a supporter of Trump in one sense but not completely: "As a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose? Sure. As a policymaker and leader? Dear god no."

In the document, the man also stated that he was following the example of notorious right-wing extremists, including Dylann Roof, who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.

The White House strongly rejected the notion of any connection between Trump and the tragedy.

"It's outrageous to even make that connection between this deranged individual that committed this evil crime to the president who has repeatedly condemned bigotry, racism and made it very clear that this is a terrorist attack," Mercedes Schlapp, the White House's director of strategic communication, told reporters outside the White House on Friday. "We are there to support and stand with the people of New Zealand."

When asked about Trump being named as an inspiration for white identity, White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway said, "The shooter is an evil, hateful person who is wrong about that."

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., was also asked about the alleged shooter invoking Trump's name during an early-morning CNN interview.

"I'm not defending all of the president's language on this stuff. What I am saying, though, if you look at the Holocaust where 6 million Jews were killed and Hitler basically brought a bunch of people into evil thinking to do what they did, that was way before President Trump," Kinzinger said. "This hate for people whether it's religion or race has been since the beginning of humanity. This disgusting animal is evil. If President Trump's language triggered him, that wasn't President Trump triggering."

But a number of Democrats said Trump had fanned the flames of anti-Muslim sentiment and pointed to his remarks after a deadly neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville in 2017, saying that both sides included "some very fine people."

"My heart goes out to our Muslim brothers and sisters in Christchurch," tweeted Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich. "But my mind fixes on white supremacy, and whether its recent surge in the US, and presidential acquiescence and talk of 'good people on all sides' is having a malign effect around the world."

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., one of the two Muslim women to be elected to Congress last year, wrote in a statement: "I am so angry at those who follow the 'white supremacy' agenda in my own country that sends a signal across the world that massacres like this is some kind of call to action."

And Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., directly condemned Trump and Republicans.

"Daily reminder that we have a **Muslim Ban** in this country made out of the President's hostility to Muslim people w/ little-to-no supporting evidence, and a Republican Party that tolerates it," she tweeted.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12213367

The biggest racist, coward, liar and all around moron think that white supremacists are not a major issue, the fucking moron is one of the causes of what is happening in NZ, fucking disgusting human being.

Look it is a well known fact I don't have time for Muslims but I do not and will not condone the killing of innocents no matter their race, religion, colour or creed.
 
offcourse not, as only 49 muxlums died. Its not like 1 Jewish person got whacked that it would tantamount to a situation of grave concern.
 
https://www.usnews.com/news/politic...plays-white-nationalism-threat-after-massacre

BY JONATHAN LEMIRE, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump played down any threat posed by racist white nationalism after the gunman accused of the New Zealand mosque massacre called the president "a symbol of renewed white identity."

Trump, whose own previous responses to the movement have drawn scrutiny, expressed sympathy for the victims who died at "places of worship turned into scenes of evil killing." But he declined to join expressions of mounting concern about white nationalism, When asked whether he thought it was a rising threat around the world, he responded, "I don't really."

"I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess," Trump said. "If you look at what happened in New Zealand, perhaps that's the case. I don't know enough about it yet. But it's certainly a terrible thing."

Trump was asked about white nationalism and the shooting deaths of 49 people at mosques in Christchurch after he formally vetoed Congress' resolution to block his declaration of a national emergency at the Mexico border. His veto, aimed at freeing money to build more miles of a border wall against illegal immigration, is expected to survive any congressional effort to overturn it.

Questioned about the accused gunman's reference to him, Trump professed ignorance.

"I didn't see it. I didn't see it," he said. "But I think it's a horrible event ... a horrible, disgraceful thing and a horrible act."

The man accused of the shootings, whose name was not immediately released, left behind a lengthy document that outlined his motivations. He proudly stated that he was a 28-year-old Australian white nationalist who hates immigrants and was set off by attacks in Europe that were perpetrated by Muslims. In a single reference, he mentioned the U.S. president.

"Were/are you a supporter of Donald Trump?" was one of the questions he posed to himself. His answer: "As a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose? Sure. As a policy maker and leader? Dear god no."

The White House immediately denounced the connection. But the mention from the suspect, who embraced Nazi imagery and voiced support for fascism, nonetheless cast an uncomfortable light on the way that the president has been embraced by some on the far right.

Trump, who as a candidate proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the United States, has drawn criticism as being slow to condemn white supremacy and related violence. After a 2017 clash between white nationalists and anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one demonstrator dead, Trump said there were "very fine people on both sides" of the confrontation. He also did not immediately reject the support of David Duke, a former KKK Grand Wizard, during his presidential campaign.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., tied Trump's inflammatory language to the violence half a world away.

"Words have consequences like saying we have an invasion on our border and talking about people as though they were different in some fatal way," Blumenthal said on CNN. "I think that the public discourse from the president on down is a factor in some of these actions."

Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who declared his Democratic candidacy for president this week, said, "We must call out this hatred, this Islamophobia, this intolerance, and the violence that predictably follows from the rhetoric that we use."

The White House, in comments before those remarks, rejected any link to Trump.

"It's outrageous to even make that connection between this deranged individual that committed this evil crime to the president who has repeatedly condemned bigotry, racism and made it very clear that this is a terrorist attack," Mercedes Schlapp, the White House's director of strategic communication, told reporters. "We are there to support and stand with the people of New Zealand."

Trump himself telephoned New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, offering condolences, prayers and any help the U.S. might be able to provide. She told reporters she answered, "My message was: to offer sympathy and love to all Muslim communities."

Trump's hardline immigration rhetoric and calls to return America to its traditional past have been embraced by many on the conservative fringes, including some who troll online with racist imagery, as well as white supremacists who have looked to engage in violence.

In Florida, Cesar Sayoc, who had decorated his van with Trump propaganda, was accused of mailing explosives last fall to Democratic Party officials and media members, many of whom had been criticized by the president. The president said Sayoc had been "insane" long before he became a Trump fan.

Last month, a former Coast Guard official was accused of stockpiling weapons in a plot to kill media members and liberal politicians as part of a plan to transform the U.S. into a white ethno-state. It took more than a week for Trump to respond to the plot, which he deemed "a shame."

Many experts who track violent extremists have identified white nationalism as a growing threat in the U.S. and abroad. In January, for example, the New York-based Anti-Defamation League said that domestic extremists killed at least 50 people in the U.S. in 2018, up from 37 in 2017, and said, "White supremacists were responsible for the great majority of the killings, which is typically the case."

Some critics have accused U.S. authorities of not dedicating adequate resources to stem a threat of domestic terrorism. However, The Washington Post reported last week that internal FBI data showed more domestic terror suspects were arrested last year than those allegedly inspired by international terror groups.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michael Kunzelman in Washington and Alexandra Jaffe in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, contributed reporting.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Looks like Trump feel white supremacy mass murder is ok but when comes to ISIS terror attack, they will label them as immediate threat and muslim need to be tackle. See the double standard of White supremacist. See how US is such a failed country with idiot and racist like him can be elected.
 
why trump condemn newzeland attacker when he was his voter in election
 
Americans said same about Nazi and guess what happened after that

Nazis were Germanic supremacists not white supremacists. They killed millions of white people and burnt Europe to the ground.

They are literally responsible for the murders of millions of white people due to world war 2.

I find ironic to see white supremacists or nationalists praising Hitler and the Nazis.
 
Nazis were Germanic supremacists not white supremacists. They killed millions of white people and burnt Europe to the ground.

They are literally responsible for the murders of millions of white people due to world war 2.

I find ironic to see white supremacists or nationalists praising Hitler and the Nazis.

Hitler mistake was invading Poland too quick and double dealing with Lehi
 
Neoconservatism and Evangelicalism in the US is way bigger threat than white nationalism. Don't let the attacks fool you, the propaganda which has poisoned peoples minds and radicalized some against Muslims is because of those two movements.
 
Neoconservatism and Evangelicalism in the US is way bigger threat than white nationalism. Don't let the attacks fool you, the propaganda which has poisoned peoples minds and radicalized some against Muslims is because of those two movements.

I actually agree with this sentiment white nationalists are on the fringe politically still Evangelicalism is more of threat as it pits regular Christian folks in the West to think Muslims want to"conquer" the West but these are the baby boomer who buy it but as demographic changes you gain populist sentiment against this so they whip up the ((Right wing)) and the ((Left Wing__)) they all rely on fear same is in the Muslim world they want to brand moderates and extremes to create and sow divison

*at the end as the Western world economy and political influenence wanes they looking for scapegoats like (China,Turkey,SEA,ME and to a extent Russia) I wont be suprised they want demographic changes so they can cause civil war and distract from Israel from becoming a superpower

@Falcon29 you know how Koshers have used demographic displacement in Palestine the best and how its possible real scrumy folk
 
Seriously what is wrong with him? He can’t condemn the shooter because he was white.

Wonder what he would’ve said if the shooter was Muslim!
 
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