HOUSTON -- Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush have released a joint statement on the past weekend's violence in Charlottesville:
"America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms. As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city’s most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country."
During a news conference Tuesday, President Trump defended the comment he made Saturday when he said "many sides" were to blame for the that left one woman dead.
Trump's insistence that both sides were at fault in the clash between white supremacists and protesters caused a major uproar on social media.
Earlier in the week, President Bill Clinton tweeted, "Even as we protect free speech and assembly, we must condemn hatred, violence and white supremacy. #Charlottesville." And President Obama posted a series of tweets that have since gone viral.
Other comments online ranged from the comical to the outraged.
One good thing about that abomination of a speech: it's now impossible for any Trump supporter to pretend they don't know what he is.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 15, 2017
.@realDonaldTrump, you are embarrassing our country and the millions of Americans who fought and died to defeat Nazism.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 15, 2017
The President of the United States just made it clear, in case anyone was still unsure, that he is in fact a racist.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) August 15, 2017
.@RealDonaldTrump I was at Dr. King's funeral. I know what that "side" is capable of. You are a disgrace in every possible way.
— George Wallace (@MrGeorgeWallace) August 15, 2017
Trump must be removed. Republicans, stand up to this obscene man.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 15, 2017
Let Trump ad lib, and his true nature--both his lack of any moral code and his inability to grasp basic social norms--grows painfully clear.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 15, 2017
(USA TODAY contributed to this report.)