Trump: The White Nationalist Rally was a ‘Little Peanut’ compared with pro-Palestinian Student Protests
Former President Donald Trump has asserted that the passion exhibited during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses surpasses the hostility witnessed at the notorious 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Trump made these remarks while addressing reporters outside his trial regarding alleged payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in New York. Comparing the events, Trump remarked that the Charlottesville rally was insignificant compared to the intensity displayed at student protests against the Gaza conflict. In these demonstrations, he emphasized the magnitude of passion and zeal, describing the Charlottesville rally as minuscule.
Trump’s comments echo his recent social media post on Truth Social, where he characterized the Charlottesville rally as a minor event compared to widespread unrest and pro-Palastine protests across the nation. The White House swiftly rebuked Trump’s remarks, with Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates denouncing them as vile and divisive.
President Joe Biden, anticipated to be Trump’s opponent in the upcoming presidential election, has frequently cited the Charlottesville rally as a pivotal moment prompting his decision to challenge Trump in 2020. The Charlottesville rally, which occurred on August 11, 2017, saw white supremacists gather to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, chanting slogans like “You will not replace us!” and “Jews will not replace us!”
The following day, James Alex Fields Jr., a self-professed white supremacist, intentionally drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, resulting in the death of Heather Heyer. Trump’s response to the rally, including his assertion that “both sides” were at fault, was among the most contentious episodes of his presidency.
Although the pro-Palestinian protests at various US universities, including George Washington University, Yale, New York University (NYU), Columbia University, and the University of Texas, have not led to comparable acts of violence, reports of harassment and threats targeting Jewish students have drawn condemnation from officials such as Biden, House Speaker Mike Johnson, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Video footage circulating on social media depicted activists directing derogatory remarks towards students, urging them to “go back to Poland” and warning them that October 7th would be a recurring occurrence, referencing Hamas’s attacks on Israel in response to Israel’s long ongoing activities against Palestine.
Chabad at Columbia University, an Orthodox Jewish movement chapter, reported instances where protesters disparaged Jewish students by stating, “You have no culture,” “All you do is colonize,” and “Go back to Europe.” All this was not confirmed and had no potential evidence. In response, a group of student activists representing the protesters issued a statement dissociating themselves from inflammatory individuals and condemning all forms of hate or bigotry.
