Trump defends Charlottesville marchers a day before denouncing anti-Semitism

President Trump denounced anti-Semitism, a day after he went out of his way to again defend the white supremacists that marched in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.

The president opened up a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin by condemning a gunman who opened fire at a synagogue in San Diego only a few hours prior to the event, killing one person.

Tonight, America’s heart is with the victims of the horrific synagogue shooting in Poway, California — just happened.

Our entire nation mourns the loss of life, prays for the wounded, and stands in solidarity with the Jewish community.

We forcefully condemn the evil of anti-Semitism and hate, which must be defeated.

Trump also praised the law enforcement officials who were quick to respond to the scene, vowing:

We will get to the bottom of it. We’re gonna get to the bottom of a lot of things happening in this country.

But the president's comments come a day after he told reporters that he still thinks the protesters in Charlottesville were still "very fine people".

Responding to a question about whether or not he would still stand by his comment made previously, he said:

I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general.

Whether you like it or not he was one of the great generals... People were there protesting the taking down of the monument.

The gunman has been identified by authorities as 19-year-old-John Earnest, who reportedly was inspired by the Christchurch shooting in March and posted an anti-semitic manifesto online hours before shooting.

HT Vox