--- title: Charlottesville: Majority Donald Trump Did Not Do Enough description: A new poll found that 52% of adults thought that President Donald Trump's response to events in Charlottesville was "not strong enough" canonical: https://time.com/4903291/charlottesville-donald-trump-poll/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-16T21:31:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:29:21.524Z article:section: Politics og:title: 52% Think Trump Wasn't Strong Enough on Charlottesville og:description: Only 27% felt the president's response was adequate. og:url: https://time.com/4903291/charlottesville-donald-trump-poll/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7dbb374de305acac/6988da0886f68e4d826e608f/gettyimages-831990178.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2776 og:image:height: 1562 og:image:alt: donald trump response charlottesville poll og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 52% Think Trump Wasn't Strong Enough on Charlottesville twitter:description: Only 27% felt the president's response was adequate. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7dbb374de305acac/6988da0886f68e4d826e608f/gettyimages-831990178.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 52% of Americans Say Trump's Response to Charlottesville Wasn't Strong Enough > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=db8cfe70-aec0-4815-9abf-cba5a8ef92cb&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Again Blames 'Both Sides' for Charlottesville Violence [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Again Blames 'Both Sides' for Charlottesville Violence](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EzwfOun0.m3u8) (1:32)  _Published 2017-08-15. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that anti-racism protesters bear some of the blame for the violent rallies in Charlottesville, returning to his original comments that "both sides" were responsible for the deadly clashes._ by [Lisa Marie Segarra](https://time.com/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Aug 16, 2017 9:31 PM UTC by [Lisa Marie Segarra](https://time.com/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Aug 16, 2017 9:31 PM UTC A [new NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll](http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/misc/usapolls/us170814%5FPBS/NPR%5FPBS%20NewsHour%5FMarist%20Poll%5FNational%20Nature%20of%20the%20Sample%20and%20Tables%5FAugust%2017,%202017.pdf#page=3) found that 52% of American adults thought that President Trump’s response to violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, was “not strong enough.” Trump’s comments have been heavily scrutinized since a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly Saturday when a man ran his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one and injuring 19. Trump said there was [blame “on both sides”](http://time.com/4902159/donald-trump-there-is-blame-on-both-sides-for-violent-clashes-in-charlottesville/) leading to [several resignations](http://fortune.com/2017/08/14/charlottesville-ken-frazier-trump-ceos/) from his manufacturing council and strategy and policy forum, both of which he [decided to disband](http://time.com/4903380/donald-trump-strategy-ceo-council-disbanding/) shortly after. Only 27% felt Trump’s response was strong enough and 21% said they were unsure. Even among those who said they approve of Trump, 42% said they either felt his response was not strong enough or were unsure. Republicans gave the most support to the President with 59% approving of his response. The poll also revealed Trump’s approval ratings to be at[ record lows. ](http://time.com/4786624/donald-trump-approval-rating-presidents/) The poll was conducted by interviewing 1,125 adults on Aug. 14 and 15 and has a margin of error plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. ## Transcript I've condemned neo- Nazis, I've condemned many different groups, but not all of those people were neo- Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists. I think there's blame on both sides. You look at both sides I think there's blame on both sides, and I have no doubt about it. What about the alt- left? They came charging, as you say, at the alt- right. Do they have any semblance of guilt? [ CROSSTALK ]. Let me ask you this, what about the fact they came charging with clubs in their hands, swinging clubs, Do they have any problem? I think they do. There was a group on this side, you can call them the left, you've just called them the left, that came violently attacking the other group. So you can say what you want, but that's they way it is. You had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down, to them, a very, very important statue, And the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another name . >> [ UNKNOWN ] George Washington was a slave owner. Was George Washington a slave owner? So, will George Washington now lose his status? Excuse me. Are we going to take down statues to George Washington How about Thomas Jefferson? What do you think about Thomas Jefferson? You like him? I do love Thomas Jefferson. Okay good. Are we gonna take down the statue? Cuz he was a major slave owner. Now are we gonna take down his statue? So you know what? It's fine. You're changing history. 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