Twitter Points Out Other Times When 'Both Sides' Were Clearly Incomparable
On Tuesday, many Americans were left reeling after recent remarks made by President Donald Trump in the aftermath of violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
During a much-criticized press conference at New York’s Trump Tower on Tuesday, the president took back his Monday condemnation of the neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and other white supremacists who gathered in a rally in Charlottesville that later led to the death of Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old woman who was marching with counter-protesters.
“You had some very bad people in that group,” Trump said, referring to protesters, before adding: “You also had some very fine people on both sides.”
Yes, there was violence on both sides. Also, one of those sides? Nazis.
— Kevin Pereira (@Attack) August 15, 2017
The president’s words echo his initial response to Saturday’s tragedy, in which he said, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides ― on many sides.” The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi site, praised his comments as “good.”
Mr. President - Heather Heyer was not murdered by "both sides."
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) August 15, 2017
Naturally, the president’s Tuesday statement made its way on to Twitter, where users had a field day with the quote and the meaning behind it.
Here are the best riffs on Trump’s troubling statement.
Sure, the cancer was aggressive. But the chemotherapy was also very aggressive. There was aggression on both sides
— elan gale (@theyearofelan) August 16, 2017
#violenceonbothsides pic.twitter.com/h0YFs8XaCV
— Atypical (@Supeprime) August 16, 2017
"WHY IS MARIO TRYING TO TAKE THE BOWSER FLAG DOWN IT'S A PART OF HISTORY LET'S HEAR BOTH SIDES AND WHATABOUT TOAD HE THREW A RED SHELL ONCE" pic.twitter.com/mDyoVZxLq4
— Brian Altano (@agentbizzle) August 15, 2017
Violence on both sides pic.twitter.com/ZjLoTMncZr
— Neysha (@La_Ney_sha) August 16, 2017
There is blame on both sides, Anne Frank was being a very loud and rude houseguest
— Megan Amram (@meganamram) August 15, 2017
Violence On Both Sides pic.twitter.com/92FBcRNqxB
— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) August 16, 2017
OK, Voldemort is a murderous Death-Eater obsessed with blood purity, but Harry went to Hogsmeade without permission. So faults on both sides
— Tom Easton (@TomEaston) August 16, 2017
There is blame on both sides. Harriet Tubman was engaged in human trafficking.
— Ryan Rabaca (@ryanrab83) August 15, 2017
The US soldiers who fought Hitler were very, very violent. So there's clearly fault on both sides.
— Donald J. Drumpf (@RealDonalDrumpf) August 15, 2017
#violenceonbothsides @jk_rowling @MattBinder @JohnFugelsang @Trevornoah @FullFrontalSamB @StephenAtHome @MMFlint @MarkRuffalo #VOBS pic.twitter.com/2cFWFMYxZA
— Bruce Harmon (@SprtsGamer) August 16, 2017
I think Darth Vader is evil, but several of those storm troopers were fine people. #violenceonbothsides
— Karmella Haynes (@drkahaynes) August 16, 2017
I dunno yal. The ghostbusters sound like a hate group. It's possible they provoked the ghosts. I think Blame on both sides." pic.twitter.com/WZxKfzvQTI
— RAFAEL CASAL (@RafaelCasal) August 16, 2017
Violence on both sides. pic.twitter.com/wyrkTAhdzp
— MistyKnightsTwistOut (@Steph_I_Will) August 16, 2017
Ya, smallpox was aggressive. But you have to also accept the vaccine was so violent it IRRADICTAED the red plague, so. #ViolenceOnBothSides pic.twitter.com/hnJwT9GJI4
— Ladypolitik (@Ladypolitik) August 16, 2017
Violence on both sides: pic.twitter.com/z90hAkjD7d
— Regine Hunter's Wigs (@PorterPizzazz) August 16, 2017
Sure it was an inter-dimensional predator that killed, ate, or injected victims with parasitic eggs...but there was #ViolenceOnBothSides! pic.twitter.com/lwaPxixrxO
— Blurred Vision (@Android_Tears) August 16, 2017
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.