GOP unsatisfied with Trump’s debate performance [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Republican legislators on Wednesday expressed their dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s first presidential debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
• Trump’s statement to “stand back and stand by,” pointing to right extremist groups, has fueled public outrage.
• The president has yet to comment on his statement. The White House communications director said that there’s no need for clarity.

GOP legislators were not happy with the first presidential debate performance of President Donald Trump against Democratic candidate Joe Biden. The Republicans specifically found the president’s statements lacking in denouncing white supremacists and far-right-wing groups.

On Tuesday night, Fox News’ Chris Wallace, the debate moderator, asked Trump if he was willing to rebuke white supremacists and to ask them to “stand down” in places where right extremist groups have confronted social injustice rallies.

The president replied: “I’m willing to do that.”

However, Trump showed resistance, after being urged by Wallace and Biden to condemn groups such as the Proud Boys, a violent neo-fascist street gang. He said that the group should “stand back and stand by.” The statement fueled outrage from the live audience while causing a victory party among such groups.

On Wednesday, Republican senators urged the president to amend his remark.

“I think he misspoke. I think he should correct it,” Sen. Tim Scott (SC.), the only Black GOP senator told reporters, adding that “if he doesn’t correct it, I guess he didn’t misspeak.”

The White House communications director told Fox News on Wednesday that she thought there was no need for clarity, and that the president already told the group “to stand back.”

GOP Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.) said that he was “hoping for more clarity” regarding Trump’s stance on extremists and militia groups.

Rounds noted: “He should have made it very clear that there’s no room for people on the far-left or the far-right when it comes to either Antifa or these white supremacist groups.”

When asked if Trump should have condemned white supremacists during the debate, former GOP presidential candidate and Sen. Mitt Romney (UT.) said, “Of course, of course.”

When asked for his reaction to the first 2020 presidential debate, the senator said that it “was not a Lincoln-Douglas debate, that’s for sure.” 

Trump has yet to comment on his controversial statement.

Source: AOL.com