Trump’s response to the deadly events in Charlottesville has inspired white supremacists like David Duke to tweet in celebration. Today Trump used his own Twitter to position himself even deeper in the alt-right’s ecosystem by defending Confederate statues and bemoaning the “culture of our great country being ripped apart” by their removal. Meanwhile, his attorney made headlines for forwarding an email which praised Robert E. Lee, vilified the Black Lives Matter movement, and generally contained secessionist (i.e. Southern independence and Confederate culture) rhetoric.
Trump saying he was “sad” to see Confederate monuments being removed, as was the case in Baltimore overnight last night, continues to put pressure on mainstream Republicans. Meanwhile, the President’s attorney James Dowd forwarded an email which decried the Black Lives Matter movement as “totally infiltrated by terrorist groups.”
The latest polls have Trump’s approval at around 33%, an historic low. But while 55% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Charlottesville, nearly two-thirds of Republicans said they approved of Trump’s response.