UPDATED - 'Racism is evil': Trump explicitly denounces KKK, white supremacists and neo-Nazis

[David__77]

16. I have to say that I'm somewhat relieved.

I understand that his words may not reflect his actual thinking. That said, if Trump continued to withhold his condemnation of racism, it would open a lot of political space for racism to be further normalized within the broader political right. As much as I don't subscribe to the Republican Party, there are many people within it, including elected officials, who do not adhere to white nationalist politics. Trump's words as a big blow to the morale and opportunities of the fascist groups, including "alt right." Trump recognized and conveyed agreement with the consensus position that racism is immoral and unacceptable.

While Trump going off the deep end and upholding white nationalism would definitely, in a sense, be helpful to the political prospects of progressives, it is too dangerous, and the price much much too high to hope for anything other than the "taming" of Trump by the mainstream Republicans.