Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts urged Kayleigh McEnany to make a “declarative statement” that President Donald Trump denounces white supremacy, but she refused.

“I’d like to ask you for a definitive and declarative statement without ambiguity or deflection, as the person who speaks for the President: Does the President denounce white supremacism and groups that espouse it, in all their forms?” Roberts very specifically asked. During Tuesday’s presidential debate Trump also was unable to specifically denounce white supremacists.

“This has been answered yesterday by the President himself, the day before by the President himself on the debate stage, the President was asked this he said ‘sure’ three times,” McEnany – very prepared – responded.

“Yesterday he was asked point blank, asked, ‘Do you denounce white supremacy and he said, ‘I’ve always denounced any form of that,’ so I can go back and read for you,” McEnany said. “He has condemned white supremacy more than any president in modern history.”

McEnany did not mention that Trump has repeatedly been asked to condemn white supremacy because he keeps telegraphing support for it, and white supremacists and other extremists know it. She also neglected to mention Trump said denouncing the white supremacists and neo-Nazis at Charlottesville was the “biggest f*cking mistake I’ve made.”

Related –
‘Complicit’: Ex-Trump DHS Counterterrorism Head Slams President’s ‘Dangerous’ Refusal to Condemn White Supremacists

Roberts was not satisfied.

“Just to clear it up this morning, can you – naming it – make a declarative statement that the president denounces it?”

“I just did,” McEnany said, falsely.

“I’m just asking you to put this to rest,” Roberts said, as McEnany talked over him.

She then went on to attack the media.

Watch:

Kayleigh McEnany dances around a question from Fox News asking her to categorically condemn white supremacists. Very bizarre. pic.twitter.com/7xoyMHPTxa

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2020

The Proud Boys are cheering.

The group that calls themselves the “Proud Boys,” and claim to be “western chauvinists” but have been called a far right extremist, neo-fascist, misogynistic, transphobic, Islamophobic, and white nationalist hate group that promotes violence, just got a major show of support from President Donald Trump.

During Tuesday night’s presidential debate Fox News’ Chris Wallace asked the President – who has a long and ugly history of racism, white nationalism, and some say white supremacism – to condemn white supremacists.

He couldn’t.

Ultimately, he told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”

The group took to the social media platform Parler, which has become home to white supremacists, conservatives, and anti-Semites, and cheered. New York Times correspondent Mike Baker, who has been doing excellent work in Portland, tweeted out screenshots immediately after Trump’s remarks.

Clearly they’re ready for action – and awaiting orders from the president.

The Proud Boys are ecstatic tonight about getting mentioned in the debate tonight.

“Trump basically said to go fuck them up! this makes me so happy,” writes one prominent Proud Boy. pic.twitter.com/hYA7yQVAOn

— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) September 30, 2020

Journalist Jonathan Katz says Trump didn’t condemn, he gave an order:

“Proud Boys stand back and stand by” is not a condemnation, it’s an order.

— Jonathan Myerson Katz (@KatzOnEarth) September 30, 2020

Media Matters’ senior researcher Alex Kaplan reports the Proud Boys immediately incorporated Trump’s orders into their logo:

The Proud Boys on Telegram have now posted an image with its logo and Trump’s remark. https://t.co/xSySGrohcm pic.twitter.com/UAJFsKCsbX

— Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) September 30, 2020

CNN Security Correspondent Josh Campbell notes the language Trump used means “remain ready and alert.”

Trump told white supremacists to “stand by.”

The phrase “stand by” in paramilitary circles means: Remain ready and alert. We’ll call you if we need you.

— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) September 30, 2020

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) says Trump didn’t just refuse to denounce white supremacists, he cheered them on.

This will be the story. Trump refused to condemn white supremacy. No – he cheered them on. And they heard him loud and clear. https://t.co/9lJQp49tOH

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 30, 2020

The Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt says Trump owes Americans an apology or an explanation:

It’s astonishing that, when asked a simple question, will you condemn white supremacists, @POTUS responded – “The Proud Boys should stand back and stand by.” Trying to determine if this was an answer or an admission. @POTUS owes America an apology or an explanation. Now. https://t.co/9tgufXom9K

— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) September 30, 2020

Fox News host Chris Wallace asked President Donald Trump during Tuesday night’s debate if he would condemn white supremacists.

He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Trump could not say, “I condemn white supremacists.”

He hemmed and hawed.

He asked Wallace to give him a name.

He just couldn’t do it.

“I’m willing to do it but almost everything I see if from the left wing and not the right wing.”

Ultimately, this is what he managed to say.

“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by…”

Stand by?

Watch:

Trump refuses to condemn white supremacists and Proud Boys. pic.twitter.com/X4Nfj7yKaf

— The Recount (@therecount) September 30, 2020