Charlottesville mayor accuses Trump of running campaign that 'attracted racist groups'

Washington D.C. [U.S.A.], August 13 (ANI): Charlottesville Democratic mayor Michael Signer on Sunday said that U.S. President Donald Trump had emboldened organised racists, who caused the racially charged violence in his city over the weekend.

"Look at the campaign he ran," Signer said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Signer accused Trump of running a campaign that attracted racist groups.

"Look at the intentional courting both, on the one hand, of all these white supremacists, white nationalist groups like that, anti-Semitic groups. And then look on the other hand, the repeated failure to step up, condemn, denounce, silence, you know, put to bed all those different efforts," he said.

Signer asked everyone to come together to identify and fight racism. He added that the fight should also include Trump as well.

Signer said that he expected a violent case to be made against the man behind the attack.

"I hope that if the facts are there, that we vigorously prosecute this as a case of domestic terrorism," Signer said.

"This cannot be tolerated."

On Saturday, white supremacist demonstrators clashed with counter protestors in Virginia city, with the violence culminating with a man ramming a car through a group of counter protestors.

According to authorities, 19 people were killed and one injured in the attack.

In a statement while reacting to the deadly attack, Trump blamed "many sides."

Meanwhile, White House Homeland Security advisor Tom Bossert has defended Trump and said that his statement did not prevaricate the white supremacists with the counter protestors.

Bossert blamed "both sides" for the recent violence, and said that the White House was "absolutely" against the white supremacists.

"I'm sure there were good people in the groups that had various opinions on the removal or maintenance of the statue," Bossert said.

"But what they found when they showed up were groups from outside that showed up on both sides, looking for trouble, dressed in riot gear, prepared for violence."

Bossert further said that both he and Trump wanted the assailant to face "swift justice" and noted that the Department of Justice was pursuing a civil rights investigation.

"This individual should face swift justice," Bossert said.

"The President of the United States shares that view. I know he does."

"These groups showed up spewing hate," he said. "These groups showed up looking for violence." (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI