Trump: My Charlottesville response was 'perfect'

Donald Trump has said his much-criticised response to riots in Charlottesville was 'perfect' - and claimed North Korea was starting to respect America.

کد خبر: ۷۲۴۰۸۵

تاریخ: ۰۱ شهريور ۱۳۹۶ - ۰۸:۴۱

Mr Trump made his comments during a rally in Arizona, a day after his primetime speech outlining his strategy for Afghanistan.

The rally drew many protesters who were angry for his failing to denounce white supremacists who had clashed with anti-fascist protesters earlier this month.

The Charlottesville protests resulted in the death of a woman and injury to dozens of other people.

Outside the rally in Arizona, police deployed smoke grenades to disperse protesters who chanted slogans and waved placards.

During his speech, Mr Trump said his response to the Charlottesville situation had been "perfect".

Instead he blamed the "very dishonest media" for misrepresenting his response to the riots, saying he had "openly called for healing unity and love".

He also spoke about North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, following their war of words on the threat of nuclear war, saying: "I respect the fact that he is starting to respect us.

"Maybe something positive can come about."

Before Mr Trump's appearance, various groups had used Facebook to gather the support of thousands of people wiling to protest in the Arizona city.

Reports said they had been met by a crowd of Trump supporters, a heavy police presence and heat so extreme that dozens had to be treated for heat-related problems, mostly dehydration.

Anti-Trump protesters yelled: "Shame, shame, shame" and "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA" as the president's supporters began filing into the Phoenix Convention Center, where the rally is being held.

Trump supporters responded with chants of: "Build the wall", a reference to his promise to build a wall between the US and Mexico.

Phoenix's mayor Greg Stanton had written in the Washington Post on Monday urging Mr Trump to delay his trip.

The Democrat wrote: "America is hurting and it is hurting largely because Trump has doused racial tensions with gasoline. With his planned visit to Phoenix on Tuesday, I fear the president may be looking to light a match.

"It's time to let cooler heads prevail and begin the healing process," he wrote before adding that he was "not optimistic (that) the White House will heed that call".

Arizona's Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, greeted Mr Trump but was not at the rally.

The state's two Republican senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, both of whom have been criticised by Mr Trump, were also absent from the rally.

Mr Trump won Arizona in last year's election but it was a narrow victory: 48.1% compared with 44.6% won by Hillary Clinton.