Former President Donald Trump took to social media on Thursday morning to compare the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville to the ongoing protests at college campuses over Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Well, if that’s the case, he’s done a really terrible job because Charlottesville is like a ‘peanut’ compared to the riots and anti-Israel protests that are happening all over our Country, RIGHT NOW,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social.
He went on to say that Biden “HATES” both Israel and the Palestinians, noting that it’s “Crooked’s fault because he sends the wrong message every single time.”
The 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville was a major moment during Trump’s presidency, as white supremacists chanting anti-Semitic slogans marched with Tiki torches through the city before clashing with counter-protestors, turning the situation violent.
James Alex Fields killed counter-protester Heather Heyer after he hit her with his car when he drove into a crowd.
Trump condemned the white supremacists at the rally, though he was criticized by his opponents for saying that there was blame on “both sides” and “ very fine people on both sides.”
Thursday’s post from Trump comes as college campuses across the country are filled with protests over the war between Israel and Hamas, which has resulted in the death of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza after the deadly Oct. 7 attack from the terrorist group launched the war.
Protests have occurred on the campuses of Columbia University, Yale, NYU, Tufts University, MIT, Boston University, Emerson College, and more.
Biden condemned the protests earlier this week, saying, “I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I’ve set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”
Other top lawmakers have also come forward to criticize the college campus protests, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“College campuses must be places of learning and discussion,” Schumer wrote. “Every American has a right to protest, but when protests shift to antisemitism, verbal abuse, intimidation, or glorification of Oct. 7 violence against Jewish people, that crosses the line. Campuses must remain safe for all students.”