What an asshole:
CNN anchor Kate Bolduan and Corey Stewart, former Virginia chairman for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, had a heated debate about who’s to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, with Stewart trying to relentlessly condemn the left.
Bolduan originally started things off by asking about Steve Bannon‘s interview, where he called the right a collection of “clowns, fringe and losers.” Stewart, a Republican running for a Virginia Senate seat, turned it to immediately talk about how the conversation surrounding Charlottesville has been wrong.
“What the left is trying to do is conflate the two things, they’re trying to say that conservatives, those who oppose the removal of historical monuments are somehow are tied to the right wing, far, far right wing groups, Neo-Nazis, KKK, etc,” he said. ‘Which the Republican Party has nothing to do with. That was the point he was trying to make.”
Bolduan was ready for the change in topic and brought up a Stewart quote to the Washington Post saying he doesn’t believe the violence wasn’t caused by white supremacy. Stewart used his response to back what the President said about the event, that both sides were to blame.
“There were some groups there, the KKK and Neo-Nazis but there were also normal people, not necessarily the conservative end of the spectrum, who don’t want to see these historical monuments removed. Once the rally began, you had this far left group, this violent group, antifa, which attacked them. They were out to start a fight. They got the fight. They got the attention they wanted. Both of these groups should be condemned for this violence, which is completely unjustified.”
Here’s where it gets really heated:
He claimed “not even establishment Republicans have come out and condemned the far left group, antifa, which has been espousing violence and attacking people.”
Pressed on why that might be, Stewart said, “Because establishment Republicans are afraid of being labeled by CNN as racists and bigots. And they know that that’s exactly what you’re going to do and there’s only a few of us that are going to stand up to you.”
“Is it possible that it’s because someone died who was counter-protesting?” Bolduan said.
“You’re trying to use this poor women’s death to say that Confederate monuments should be taken down,” Stewart retorted. “That’s exactly what you’re trying to say, Kate.”
“Corey. In no way, if you’re — if we could all be a little intellectually honest here, in no way am I conflating the two,” Bolduan began.
“Intellectually honest? Coming from CNN, I just don’t — I don’t see that at all,” Stewart interjected.
“I am the anchor of this show. I’m asking the question. Hold on a second. In no way am I conflating two things,” Bolduan fired back, speaking over Stewart as he tried to interrupt again. “Stop talking. Stop talking. Stop talking for a second. You’re the guest on my show. I would like to continue the conversation with you, respectfully.”
And kudos to Bolduan for calling out Stewart on this:
What’s more, Bolduan noted that Stewart himself had appeared at a rally with Kessler just five months ago in Charlottesville.
“I’m confused when I see images of you showing up as recently as, i think it was February… showing up at events with Jason Kessler, a white nationalist,” she said. “The most recent interview he did, promoting the rally, he said. ‘I am pro-white. I want to stand up for my people. Right now, there is an ethnic cleansing against white people in the United States.”
“Well, look, he’s got to speak for himself,” Stewart responded.
“Well, you can also speak for yourself by showing up to events with him,” Bolduan replied.
“He’s got to speak for himself,” Stewart insisted. “I didn’t know he had those views.”
The event that Stewart attended with Kessler was an anti-immigration event where speakers argued in favor of letting immigrants come in from majority-white Western countries, but not from places such as the Middle East.
Asshole. By the way, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D. VA) is paying his respects to another one of the victims from Charlottesville this weekend:
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine canceled a Friday luncheon speech in Norfolk so he can attend the funeral of a State Police trooper killed in a helicopter crash Saturday.
Trooper Berke Bates is one of two who died in the crash outside Charlottesville on Saturday shortly after they had been patrolling above a clash between white supremacists and counterdemonstrators.
Kaine’s office said he and his wife, Anne Holton, knew Bates and the other officer who died, Lt. Jay Cullen. Bates’ funeral will be held Friday in Richmond.
Let’s keep Neo-Nazi sympathizers like Stewart away from the U.S. Senate and let's also win big in Virginia this year. Click below to not only donate and get involved with Kaine’s re-election campaign but also Ralph Northam’s (D. VA) gubernatorial campaign, Justin Fairfax’s (D. VA) Lt. Governor campaign, Attorney General Mark Herring’s (D. VA) re-election campaign and the Virginia Democratic Party so we can make some big wins in the House of Delegates:
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