Jim Schultz, a former White House lawyer, has criticized Donald Trump for linking the 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, to ongoing pro-Palestine protests across US colleges. Schultz, who served as an associate White House counsel during the rally, described Trump’s mention of Charlottesville as a “big mistake” and politically damaging.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Schultz emphasized the negative impact of Trump’s remarks, noting the backlash the former president faced for his comments at the rally. He stated that Trump’s comparison was a “big mistake on his part, politically, to raise that.” Schultz further highlighted how mentioning Charlottesville would likely make Trump’s campaign cringe, given the controversies surrounding the event.
Trump’s comparison came during his trial in New York, where he made remarks about current events. He downplayed the significance of the Charlottesville rally, referring to it as a “little peanut” compared to what he alleged were riots and anti-Israel protests happening across the country.
The comments drew criticism, including from the White House. Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates rebuked Trump’s remarks, calling them disgusting and divisive and emphasizing the importance of not minimizing the anti-Semitic and white supremacist sentiments displayed in Charlottesville.
The 2017 Charlottesville rally was a gathering of white supremacists protesting the removal of a Confederate statue. It turned violent, with participants chanting anti-Semitic and racist slogans. The incident resulted in the death of a counter protester and sparked widespread condemnation, reigniting discussions about racial tensions and hate groups in the United States.
