Military chiefs weigh in after Trump’s Charlottesville comments
Members of the armed forces spoke out against racism in the hours after President Trump made remarks that again cast blame on both sides for the Charlottesville violence over the weekend.
High-ranking officials in the Army, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force tweeted overnight, though none mentioned Trump by name.
General Robert B. Neller of the Marine Corps tweeted just hours after Trump’s remarks Tuesday evening:
No place for racial hatred or extremism in @USMC. Our core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment frame the way Marines live and act.
— Robert B. Neller (@GenRobertNeller) August 15, 2017
The chief of staff of the Army, General Mark Milley, cited the branch’s long history in his tweet Wednesday morning.
The Army doesn't tolerate racism, extremism, or hatred in our ranks. It's against our Values and everything we've stood for since 1775.
— GEN Mark A. Milley (@ArmyChiefStaff) August 16, 2017
Later Wednesday morning, the head of the Air Force tweeted his solidarity with the other branches of the military in condemning racism.
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I stand with my fellow service chiefs in saying we're always stronger together-it's who we are as #Airmen pic.twitter.com/9XxOry93nf
— Gen. Dave Goldfein (@GenDaveGoldfein) August 16, 2017
On Saturday after the bloodshed, the head of the Navy called the events in Charlottesville “unacceptable.”
Events in Charlottesville unacceptable & musnt be tolerated @USNavy forever stands against intolerance & hatred...https://t.co/tg0cETibaq
— Adm. John Richardson (@CNORichardson) August 13, 2017
Trump drew wide condemnation on Tuesday after making a U-turn on his remarks Monday condemning white supremacist groups at the Charlottesville rally. Trump said that though there were ‘‘some very bad people’’ among those who protested, “you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.’’
Trump also argued Tuesday that some of the protesters who marched Friday were merely there to demonstrate against the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. However, video showed the marchers chanting Nazi slogans.