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Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 17:02
Trump defends Charlottesville response at Phoenix rally
By Reuters
Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 17:02 By Reuters

President Donald Trump reacts to the song as he arrives at a rally at the Phoenix Convention Center, Tuesday, Aug 22, 2017, in Phoenix. (ALEX BRANDON / AP)

PHOENIX – US President Donald Trump revved up supporters on Tuesday with a defense of his response to a white supremacist-organized rally in Virginia and a promise to shut down the US government if necessary to build a wall along the border with Mexico. 

Under fire for saying "both sides" were to blame for the violence between white supremacists and left-wing counter protesters in Virginia on Aug 12, Trump accused television networks of ignoring his calls for unity in the aftermath. 

"I didn't say I love you because you're black, or I love you because you're white," Trump said. "I love all the people of our country." 

Police used pepper spray to disperse crowds after protesters threw rocks and bottles outside the convention center where Trump spoke, police said. 

I question his fitness to be in office. 

James Clapper, Former director, US National Intelligence

Trump, who often uses news organizations as a foil, repeatedly singled out the media for criticism of how it covered the violence in the Virginia college town of Charlottesville and the resulting political fallout. 

"These are truly dishonest people. They're bad people. I really think they don't like our country," Trump said. "The only people giving a platform to these hate groups is the media." 

Adopting a glib tone, Trump said many reporters ignored his condemnation of white supremacists, including the Ku Klux Klan.

"I hit 'em with neo-Nazi, I hit 'em with everything ... KKK? We have KKK. I got 'em all," he said. 

James Clapper, a former director of US national intelligence, expressed concern at Trump's performance, calling it "downright scary and disturbing." 

"I question his fitness to be in office," Clapper told CNN. 

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN 

Funding for the border wall has flagged in the US Congress as many lawmakers question whether Trump's main promise during the 2016 presidential election campaign is really necessary. 

But with a budget battle looming, Trump said he would be willing to risk a politically damaging government shutdown in order to secure funding for the wall. 

He visited the border region in Yuma, Arizona, earlier on Tuesday. 

"If we have to close down our government, we're building that wall," Trump said. "We're going to have our wall. The American people voted for immigration control. We're going to get that wall." 

With thousands of supporters cheering him on, Trump also weighed in on another racially charged issue, hinting he would pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. 

Arpaio, 85, who battled illegal immigration in the Phoenix area, was found guilty last month of criminal contempt for violating the terms of a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case. 

NAFTA, DPRK 

Trump covered the gamut of issues, from NAFTA trade talks to the US showdown with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), during a raucous, rambling and defiant political speech lasting an hour and 15 minutes. 

He said he might terminate the NAFTA treaty with Mexico and Canada to jumpstart negotiations, and said the standoff with the DPRK over its weapons programs might have taken a positive turn. 

He expressed frustration that the Republican-controlled Congress was unable to approve healthcare legislation that failed to pass the Senate by one vote last month. 

People protest outside the Phoenix Convention Center, Aug 22, 2017, in Phoenix. Protests were held against President Donald Trump as he hosted a rally inside the convention center. (MATT YORK / AP)

Trump drew broad criticism for blaming both white nationalists and counter-protesters for the deadly violence at the Charlottesville rally, which was organized by neo-Nazis and white supremacists. One woman was killed. 

He mocked left-wing protesters in his speech. 

Protesters outside Tuesday's rally yelled: "Shame, shame, shame" and "No Trump, No KKK, No fascist USA" as the Trump supporters began filing into the Phoenix Convention Center. 

Supporters, who lined up for hours in the Arizona heat ahead of the event, chanted: "Build the wall." Many wore red hats with Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." 

Trump has held a series of 2020 re-election campaign stops despite only having taken office in January. 

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, a Democrat, had asked him to postpone Tuesday's event while the nation healed from outrage and division after the deadly rally in Charlottesville.

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