President Trump’s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday refused to support his boss’ view on the white-supremacist violence in Charlottesville earlier this month, telling “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace that “the president speaks for himself,” when he was asked about the world’s nation wonder whether Trump’s comments represent American values.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has rebuked the US for its “failure at the highest political level to unequivocally reject racist violent events,” in light of the President’s contention that there were “fine people” on both sides in Charlottesville, ostensibly including neo-Nazis in their number (segment starts at minute 11).
Tillerson responded, saying, “I don’t believe anyone doubts the American people’s values or the commitment of the American government or the government’s agencies to advancing those values and defending those values.”
And when Wallace asked if these values included “the president’s values,” Tillerson said: “The President speaks for himself.”
“Are you separating yourself from that, sir?” Wallace asked.
“I have spoken,” Tillerson said. “I have made my own comments as to our values as well in a speech I gave to the State Department this past week.”