Few moments in recent political history have been as weaponized as Donald Trump’s remarks after the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The media and critics claim he called neo-Nazis and white supremacists “very fine people,” branding him a sympathizer of hate. It’s a narrative that’s stuck like glue—repeated by outlets, politicians, and even Joe Biden as a reason for his 2020 candidacy. But it’s a lie, built on selective editing and willful misinterpretation. Let’s unpack the hoax, revisit the evidence, and expose the media’s role in crafting this enduring myth.
The Rally and Trump’s Response
On August 11-12, 2017, the Unite the Right rally—a protest against removing a Robert E. Lee statue—turned violent in Charlottesville. Organized by white nationalists like Richard Spencer and Jason Kessler, it drew neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and other extremists. The night before, torch-wielding marchers chanted “Jews will not replace us.” On the 12th, clashes with counterprotesters ended with James Fields, a white supremacist, ramming his car into a crowd, killing Heather Heyer and injuring dozens.
Trump’s initial response on August 12 condemned “hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides,” drawing flak for not naming white supremacists explicitly. On August 14, he did, saying, “Racism is evil,” and condemning “the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups.” But it’s his August 15 press conference at Trump Tower that sparked the hoax:
At around 1m mark, Trump says: “You had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides… I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, because they should be condemned totally.” He clarified he meant those peacefully protesting the statue’s removal, not the extremists.
The Media’s Distortion
That didn’t stop the spin. CNN ran “Trump Says There Were ‘Very Fine People on Both Sides’ in Charlottesville” (August 15, 2017), implying he praised the whole crowd—swastikas and all. The Washington Post claimed he “defended white-nationalist protesters” (The Atlantic, August 15, 2017, echoed this), cropping his condemnation. The New York Times wrote “Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost” (August 15, 2017), ignoring his explicit rejection of hate groups. The most egregious? Mother Jones later asserted, “Trump called neo-Nazis ‘very fine people’” (September 16, 2024), doubling down years after the fact.
Here’s how CNN covered it:
Compare that to the full video. The media sliced his words, axed the context, and sold a lie.
Debunking the Hoax
The full transcript—available from Politico and C-SPAN—shows Trump distinguishing between violent extremists and others there for the statue debate. “You had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down of, to them, a very, very important statue,” he said, before adding, “I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis.” Fact-checkers like Snopes finally admitted this in “No, Trump Did Not Call Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists ‘Very Fine People’” (June 20, 2024), rating the claim false. Even FactCheck.org (February 11, 2020) noted Trump “twice specifically condemned white supremacists and neo-Nazis.”
X users have long called it out too.
@TheRabbitHole84 posted (March 3, 2025): “Trump condemned neo-Nazis in the same speech—media just skips that part.” The evidence is clear: he didn’t praise hate groups.
Why the Lie Persisted
So why does this stick? It’s useful. Biden’s 2019 campaign launch video claimed Trump “assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it.” Kamala Harris’ team repeated it on X (August 12, 2024), despite Snopes’ debunking, prompting Trump’s campaign to retort, “A lie so exhaustively debunked it insults the intelligence of the American people” (Fox News, August 12, 2024). The media amplifies it because it fits a narrative—Trump as a bigot—while ignoring his broader record, like denouncing anti-Semitism (February 21, 2017) or praising diversity in his policies.
The Bigger Picture
Was the rally a mixed bag? Hardly. Reports from The Washington Post (May 8, 2020) and others show it was a white-nationalist-led event—no “quiet statue defenders” detached from the extremists. Trump’s “both sides” framing might’ve been clumsy, but he didn’t call neo-Nazis “fine.” Compare his words to the media’s:
- Trump: “They should be condemned totally.”
- CNN: “Trump equates neo-Nazis with counterprotesters.”
The hoax isn’t just sloppy reporting—it’s deliberate. Outlets like Mother Jones and The New York Times thrive on outrage clicks, not truth. X posts from @amuse (July 16, 2024) nail it: “The ‘Very Fine People’ hoax was created by the media and used by the president as an excuse to run.”
The Verdict
Trump’s no saint—his rhetoric often invites scrutiny—but the “very fine people” line isn’t what critics claim. The video, transcript, and his repeated condemnations shred the Nazi-sympathizer myth. The real story? A media eager to twist words for a gotcha, even if it means burying the facts. Check the evidence yourself. The hoax doesn’t hold up.