Trump downplays Charlottesville rally, compares it to pro-Palestinian demonstrations as Biden condemns antisemitic incidents on campuses

In a recent post on his social media platform Truth Social, former President Donald Trump downplayed the violent white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 compared to current pro-Palestinian demonstrations happening across America. At the event attended by Neo Nazis and far-right extremists opposing removal of a statue commemorating Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s memory, some attendees chanted “Jews will not replace us”. A car rammed into the crowd causing the death of 32 year old paralegal Heather Heyer and injuries to others. Although there have been no reports so far of any comparable violence during current pro-Palestinian protests, some public officials expressed concerns over antisemitic incidents that occurred amid these demonstrations which mostly took place on college campuses. Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa criticized Trump’s recent post where he claimed American people would not be lectured by the former president who once called white supremacists “very fine people” after they chanted anti-Semitic slogans and killed a woman during Charlottesville rally. Biden himself condemned antisemitic protests at college campuses, while also criticizing those failing to understand Palestinian issues. The current wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations has caused unrest in various university settings leading some politicians such as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to demand resignation from the President of Columbia University if she fails to restore order on campus during these protests which have disrupted learning activities at Ivy League universities and resulted in two Presidents’ departure.