Here’s a sampling of headlines in major news outlets that purported to capture an exchange on white supremacy between President Trump, Joe Biden, and moderator Chris Wallace during Tuesday night’s debate.
Trump refuses to denounce white supremacy, says ‘stand back and stand by’ on Proud Boys movement
Trump sidesteps call to condemn white supremacists, points to extremism on the left
Donald Trump refuses to condemn white supremacists at presidential debate
Trump Refuses to Condemn White Supremacy, Instead Telling Far-Right Group: ‘Stand Back and Stand By’
Trump does not condemn white supremacy, tells far right group Proud Boys to ‘stand by’
Trump Refuses To Condemn White Supremacists — Tells Proud Boys To ‘Stand By’
Now compare those headlines to the transcript they claim to describe, and pay particular attention to Trump’s first response, which the bulk of the coverage glosses over
WALLACE: “Are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists and militia groups…”
TRUMP: “Sure…”
WALLACE: “And to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha, and as we’ve seen in Portland”
TRUMP: “Sure, I’m prepared to do it, but I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing not from the right-wing. I’m willing to do anything, I want to see peace…”
WALLACE: “Then do it, sir.”
BIDEN: “Do it, say it.”
TRUMP: “What do you want to call them? Give me a name.”
WALLACE: “White supremacists and right-wing militias”
BIDEN: “Proud Boys”
Trump: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left.”
It is absolutely accurate that Trump told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” I, like many others, interpret that statement to be insufficiently critical (although personally I think it had to do more with Trump’s sloppy speaking style and hostility towards the question than any nefarious motivations). My interpretation, however, does not constitute a fact.
Read the rest at: Trump Didnt Lie
