Jake Tapper Schools Paul Ryan On How To Respond To Nazis And Bigots

Trump's Charlottesville reaction wasn't "morally ambiguous, it was morally wrong," Tapper told Ryan.
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CNN’s Jake Tapper showed House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) how to unequivocally denounce the white supremacists and neo-Nazis who incited deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month.

Ryan appeared at a town hall meeting in Racine, Wisconsin, and was asked if he would condemn Donald Trump’s response to Charlottesville, in which the president blamed “both sides” for the events that unfolded.

The House speaker said the president “messed up” for making comments that were “morally ambiguous” and “confusing,” which caused Tapper to respond: “It wasn’t morally ambiguous. It was morally wrong, what the president said.”

The CNN host also called out Ryan for his reluctance to specifically criticize Trump for saying things like “very fine people” were marching among the white supremacists who carried swastikas and chanted, “Jews will not replace us.”

“There were not any ‘very fine people’ at that rally,” Tapper said to applause.

After Tapper’s clear response, Ryan said the CNN host was right.

“I totally agree with that,” Ryan said. Referring back to Trump’s response, Ryan added, “It was not only morally ambiguous, it was equivocating. And that was wrong.”

Watch the exchange in the two videos below.

Before You Go

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