5 debunked hoaxes related to Donald Trump

1. 'Very fine people' in Charlottesville

During last week's presidential debate, Harris dredged up accusations that Trump described neo-Nazis and white supremacists as "very fine people" in 2017.

The mischaracterization regarding Trump's remarks about the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017 remains one of the most longstanding hoaxes about his presidency, despite having even been debunked by the left-leaning Snopes earlier this year.

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The tense protests that roiled Charlottesville, which came amid controversy over plans to dismantle a prominent statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, turned violent when neo-Nazis and others with links to far-right groups clashed with left-wing counter-protesters.

James Alex Fields was found guilty in 2018 of first-degree murder for killing Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others when he rammed his car into a group of counter-protesters.

Remember Charlottesville when Trump called neo-Nazis very fine people?

I only saw the full clip for the first time today

It’s a must watch — he literally CONDEMNS the Neo Nazis and white nationalists https://t.co/62G0UC5DPL

— Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) June 16, 2024

In response to a question about the protest at the time, Trump claimed there were "very fine people on both sides" of the statue debate, but clarified that he was not referring to neo-Nazis and white nationalists, adding that they should be "condemned totally."

Trump also predicted that the impulse to expunge historical figures for falling short of modern moral standards would not stop at Confederate figures such as Robert E. Lee, but would extend to other slave-owning Founders such as Thomas Jefferson and even George Washington.

In 2021, a statue of Jefferson was removed from where it stood for more than a century in New York City Hall, according to The Washington Post.

In July of this year, Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office reversed its plan to remove a statue of Washington from Chicago City Hall following backlash, according to CBS News.

The Lee statue at the center of the Charlottesville riot was dismantled and melted down in a 2,000-degree furnace to make modern art in 2023, as noted by CNN.