Trump defends his 2017 remarks on Charlottesville violence

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is trying once more to defend his remarks about racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Trump was asked Friday about his 2017 comments, when he said there were “very fine people on both sides” of a clash between white supremacists and anti-racist demonstrators.

He said he was referring to some who were protesting the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general.

Trump praised Lee as “a great general, everybody knows that.”

In his remarks two years ago, Trump did mention the Lee statue but also said “there is blame on both sides” of the clash, which left one anti-white supremacist demonstrator dead.

The debate over Trump’s remarks resurfaced after former Vice President Joe Biden launched his Democratic presidential campaign by condemning them.