The president's recent comments about the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia have left many shocked and dismayed.
President Donald Trump shocked many Americans with his press conference on Tuesday.
Trump held a press conference which was intended to be about infrastructure, but quickly devolved into him accusing "both sides" of violence in the weekend's white nationalist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, where protesters -- many bearing flaming torches, weapons, and Nazi symbols -- marched to protest the town's removal of a statue of Confederate Army general Robert E. Lee.
Trump was initially criticized for taking two days to condemn white supremacists, and hate groups such as the KKK, in his remarks about the protests, where one woman was killed and 20 were injured after a 20-year-old man drove his car into a crowd, in an act of domestic terrorism.
In addition to calling out the "alt-left," counter-demonstrators who Trump accused of being "very, very violent," the president defended some of the protesters, saying, "Not all of those people were neo-Nazis. Many of those people were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee ... Is it George Washington next? You have to ask yourself, where does it stop?”
"You had a group on one side that was bad, and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent," Trump continued. "Nobody wants to say that, but I'll say it."
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Among those who spoke out in condemnation of the president's remarks were many in Hollywood, who took to social media to express their anger and dismay.
American Idol alum Clay Aiken even apologized for defending Trump in the past.
"I. MISS. YOU. You made America great. This 45 is making America hate. #44," Octavia Spencer shared on Instagram, addressing former U.S. President Barack Obama.
"One of the most transparent lies Trump told today is that he likes to wait for the facts before he makes a statement," John Legend tweeted.
"W/o a prepared statement, this Pres says what he really believes: Equating neo-Nazis to those protecting civil rights is disgraceful & crazy," Barbra Streisand tweeted.
"Donald, the only one praising your comments today is [former KKK Imperial Wizard] David Duke," George Takei tweeted. "That's how deeply damaged you are & how deeply you're damaging our country."
"I need a drink. I don't drink," Questlove tweeted after the press conference.
NBA star LeBron James took to Twitter, writing, "Hate has always existed in America. Yes we know that but Donald Trump just made it fashionable again! Statues has nothing to do with us now!"
Chris Evans fired off several tweets expressing his shock over the press conference, including one where he said, "Seriously. EVERYONE needs to watch that press conference in its entirety. He does everything flawlessly wrong. It's a stunning disaster."
Read on for more celebrity reactions to Trump's Charlottesville press conference.
EXCLUSIVE: Yara Shahidi Speaks Out Against Charlottesville Rally: 'Racism Is Still So Prevalent'
