Racial tensions are at a breaking point after the deadly violence in Virginia. Right now, there's a war over the president's words. Has the president done enough to denounce white supremacists? Many leaders, and community members, have asked just that.
Answering that question tonight is Arizona's former governor, who fired off a heated defense of Donald Trump days after his Charlottesville comments, or lack thereof, upset many.
Jan Brewer defended the president who ignited a firestorm on Tuesday after he blamed both the protesters and counter-protesters for the violence that claimed the life of one woman.
The president said there's "blame on both sides" on Tuesday. On Monday, the president had said "racism is evil, and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists."
Speaking off the cuff at Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday, the president took a more combative stance against the counter-protesters regarding the deadly violence at a weekend rally in Virginia, but placed blame on both the white supremacist supporters and their counter-protesters.
"You had other people in those groups besides neo-Nazis and white nationalists, and the press has treated them absolutely unfairly," Trump said, placing blame on news organizations once again.
Republicans and Democrats alike have condemned the president's claim that both sides are to blame for the deadly attack in Charlottesville, but not Arizona's former governor.
"No, absolutely not I wasn't ashamed, I think he took the bull by the horns, he spoke from his heart," she said in an interview with CNN. She said, "We need to move on."
Other Republican leaders in Arizona have made strong comments against the rally attended by racist organizations and the violence that it ended with, as well as calling out the president for not having taken a stronger stance against the white supremacist groups from the beginning.
Initially, after the attack on Saturday, the president refused to talk about white supremacists and Brewer said she was fine with that statement from the president as well.
The #WhiteSupremacy in #Charlottesville does not reflect the values of the America I know. Hate and bigotry have no place in this country.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 12, 2017
We can't accept excuses for white supremacy & acts of domestic terrorism. We must condemn. Period.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 15, 2017
We can’t claim to be the party of Lincoln if we equivocate in condemning white supremacy
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 16, 2017
There's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate& bigotry. The President of the United States should say so
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 16, 2017
I categorically 100% condemn neo-nazi, KKK, Klan, race/white supremacy groups+the violence & hate they preach. No place 4 it in #AZ or ??.
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) August 14, 2017