President Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 30, 2020 (Video screenshot)
Speaking to reporters as he prepared to depart for Minnesota for a campaign rally, President Trump corrected widespread misreporting of his comments during the debate Tuesday night regarding white supremacists and the group Proud Boys.
Trump was asked what he meant when he said that the Proud Boys should "stand back and stand by."
"I don't know who the Proud Boys are," he said. "I mean, you'll have to give me a definition, because I really don't know who they are. I can only say they have to stand down, let law enforcement do their work. Law enforcement will do the work more and more. As people see how bad this radical, liberal, Democrat movement is and how weak — the law enforcement is going to come back stronger and stronger."
Media took Trump's use of the term "stand by" to mean they should wait for his command to attack. But Trump clearly meant "stand down," as it was the term moderator Chris Wallace used in his question. And headline after headline falsely declared that Trump refused to deny white supremacists.
In fact, Trump was responding to a question from Wallace asking if he would be "willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups."
Trump interjected "sure."
Wallace continued his question: "And to say the need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha, as we've seen in Portland."
"Sure, I'm prepared to do it, but I would say that almost everything I see is from the left-wing, not from the right-wing. I'm willing to do anything. I want to see peace."
Wallace said: "Then do it, sir."
Biden added: "Do it, say it."
Trump asked: "What do you want to call them? Give me a name."
"Proud Boys," said Biden.
Trump: "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about Antifa and the left."
The focus on getting Trump to condemn white supremacy was fueled by Wallace and Biden repeating the false claim that Trump said after the Charlottesville riot that neo-Nazis and white nationalists were "very fine people."
In fact, it was one of many occasions in which Trump explicitly condemned white supremacists. But Biden says it was that moment that prompted him to run for president.
Media on Wednesday seized on a Proud Boys organizer, Joe Biggs, celebrating that the president gave the group a "shout out" and using "stand back and stand by" as a new slogan.
On Wednesday, on the South Lawn of the White House, a reporter asked Trump if he misspoke when he said on Tuesday night "stand by."
"Just 'stand by.' Look, law enforcement will do their work. They’re going to stand down. They have to stand down," he said. "Everybody — they have to stand — whatever group you’re talking about, let law enforcement do the work."
Trump said Antifa "is a real problem, because the problem is on the left and Biden refuses to talk about it."
"He refuses to issue the words 'law and order.' And you saw that last night when he choked up. He can’t say the words because he'll lose the rest of the left. So he's got to condemn Antifa. Antifa is a very bad group.
"I've always denounced any form ... any form of any of that, you have to denounce."
He noted that Biden during the debate insisted Antifa is an idea, not an organization
"These are people that hit people over the head with baseball bats," he said. "He's got to come out and he's got to be strong, and he's got to condemn Antifa. And it's very important that he does that."
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