D Thundering Statement News Today

Did he help himself today, or was it too slow to respond? and especially when you judge it against how quickly he hit back against the ceo of merck? >> yes, thats -- the latter point is very important. when the president wants to deliver an instant response, he does so. via twitter or some other way. the fact that he has waited so long to say anything that matters about what happened in charlottesville, and what could happen in many other communities, is really telling. look, this statement was ...

>> and starting this statement, by the way, mentioning trade and the economy, and how well that his administration has done in forwarding the economy. that was also an unusual start to what was a very important statement. i wish we had more time. reverend al, thanks to you. larry sabato, ashley parker, ron nehring, i appreciate it. and kelly odonnell, of course, at the white house for us. the attorney general says the evil attack in charlottesville meets the legal definition of an act of domes...

Pointed, how many republicans, members of the u.s. senate, republicans came out very strongly, very forcefully, and many of them critical of not just what happened, critical, calling out by name these groups, but calling out the president for not being more forceful and suggesting that he should be. was the statement today enough? or does he need to look inside the white house? does he need to look at the steve bannon, who in running a media organization, that he said gave voice to the alt-right...

Cryin chuck schumer as he liked to call him. congressman adam schiff. i could go on and on and on. arnold schwarzenegger. snoop dogg. kathy griffin. i want to go back, if i can, to the white house and kelly odonnell. if you can just explain briefly what reverend al sharpton just referenced, kelly, which is the resignation of the ceo of merck. >> reporter: and so this president, who has tried to be business-friendly and sort of use his mogul persona to bring in some of the giants of american manu...

Was caught somewhat by surprise in terms of the reaction to the statement the president initially made. but his statement today was good and strong. and, of course, some people are never going to give them enough credit. >> what was the surprise here? what was the surprise here? ron? >> no, i think -- its not surprising to me that someone like al sharpton would find the presidents statement inadequate or so on and so forth. you expect something like that from al sharpton. i think the presidents ...

It. you wont get away with scapegoating civil rights leaders this time. people have seen the presidents silence as something of a then d thundering statement. >> ashley, is it the belief that the president has made the statement that so many people wanted from him and now they can move on? whats the sense at the white house about where this goes next? >> i think they are going to try to move on. and i think the reason they did this today is they realize they had a huge public relations problem o...

Way. and he acted on his violent thoughts. and i think its a prima facie case that can be made to give justice to this young ladys family. >> there was a statement already made, as you know, benjamin, by the attorney general. he said this was an act of domestic terrorism. but the "new york times" explains that this way. they say the domestic terrorism language is largely symbolic. because many of the stiffest penalties are for international terrorism that do not apply domestically. but can they ...

>> vice president mike pence speaking to nbcs peter alexander a short time ago about north korea. general joseph dunford saying the u.s. is prepared to use its full range of military capabilities to defend its allies. i want to bring in ned price, former special assistant to president obama and msnbc national security analyst, john mclaughlin, former acting director of the cia. and south koreas president issued a statement today, john, saying that the situation around the korean peninsula and ne...

Of okay from the president of the united states. now, he said something very different in our last hour. but what does it say when the president waits 48 hours to make that kind of statement when you already had his attorney general who said there was going to be an investigation into this? does it in any way, do you believe, from your investigation -- from your knowledge of terrorist groups, and i consider -- obviously domestic terror groups are some of what we are seeing here right now. does i...

His staff obviously, mainly his staff, im sure, felt that he had to say something. so he did. if i could just add one other thing, chris. >> sure. >> the white supremacists that we saw here, the neo-nazis, the alt-right, whatever you want to call them, they were empowered and emboldened by donald trump, and they told you so. they were very proud of that fact. they were proud that he didnt denounce them. they got the nod and the wink from him. they know he was forced to do this. so i dont think i...