--- title: Celebrities React Donald Trump Defending White Nationalists description: Celebrities ranging from Chrissy Teigen to Lady Gaga are sounding off after Donald Trump's press conference about Charlottesville, Va. canonical: https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-16T16:48:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T04:40:57.000Z og:title: Celebrities Sound Off After Trump Defends White Nationalists og:description: From Chrissy Teigen to Lady Gaga og:url: https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b8390c521f06baf/6988d9f4e76ad27fac62ec01/donald-trump-charlottesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-TRUMP-SECURITY og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Celebrities Sound Off After Trump Defends White Nationalists twitter:description: From Chrissy Teigen to Lady Gaga twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b8390c521f06baf/6988d9f4e76ad27fac62ec01/donald-trump-charlottesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 37 Celebrities Condemn Donald Trump's Press Conference > 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=25c7216c-0cff-4cdd-bed2-2fa39f173515&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 [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 13, 2023 4:40 AM UTCPublished: Aug 16, 2017 4:48 PM UTC 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 [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 13, 2023 4:40 AM UTCPublished: Aug 16, 2017 4:48 PM UTC At a press conference in the lobby of Trump Tower on Tuesday, [President Donald Trump doubled down on his original comments that “many sides” were responsible](http://time.com/4902129/president-donald-trump-both-sides-charlottesville/) for the violent rallies in Charlottesville, VA. where [a man believed to be a white supremacist allegedly drove his car into a crowd of counter demonstrators, killing a woman in the process.](http://time.com/4898842/tavis-smiley-donald-trump-american-hate/) During the press conference, [Trump defended a procession that included torch-carrying white nationalists who chanted “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us,” by reducing them to “people protesting very quietly the taking down of statue of Robert E. Lee.”](http://time.com/4902502/donald-trump-charlottesville-press-conference/) Following his remarks, the President received backlash for his comments, especially online where the public sounded off on his press conference. Some of his most vocal detractors on the Internet were high-profile celebrities who used their platform to not only critique the President but to show support for communities who were marginalized by his stance. See celebrity responses to Trump’s Charlottesville press conference below. Noted critic of Trump Chrissy Teigen took to her Twitter to sound off on the President’s comments. > [](https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/897584419048873984) While her husband John Legend stated that he supported the removal of the statue that sparked the rallies. > [](https://twitter.com/johnlegend/status/897700922893185024) Lady Gaga asked her followers what they thought of Trump’s comments. > [](https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/897563950660804608) LeBron James pointed out that racism and hate have existed long before Donald Trump was president. > [](https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/897562037102026752) Chris Evans couldn’t get over the press conference remarks. > [](https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/897551391740354560) Questlove had a _Captain America_\-themed response to Evans’ reaction. > [](https://twitter.com/questlove/status/897585320283320320) Mandy Moore had similar feelings. > [](https://twitter.com/TheMandyMoore/status/897553197341982720) While John Mayer called on the power of the people. > [](https://twitter.com/JohnMayer/status/897557744764547072) Demi Lovato bristled at Trump’s defense of those linked to white nationalists and neo-Nazis. > [](https://twitter.com/ddlovato/status/897600730672107521) Bette Midler used her trademark wit to critique Trump’s statements. > [](https://twitter.com/BetteMidler/status/897470625580797957) While Chelsea Handler called on presidents past to hold Donald Trump accountable. > [](https://twitter.com/chelseahandler/status/897569769829928961) Lin-Manuel Miranda issued a call to action. > [](https://twitter.com/Lin%5FManuel/status/897564099080409088) As did Mark Ruffalo. > [](https://twitter.com/MarkRuffalo/status/897601246638592002) Elizabeth Banks agreed with their thinking. > [](https://twitter.com/ElizabethBanks/status/897577678097702912) As did Don Cheadle. > [](https://twitter.com/DonCheadle/status/897599938762244096) J.K. Rowling wryly found a silver lining. > [](https://twitter.com/jk%5Frowling/status/897561899231043585) While Mia Farrow pointed to this press conference as part of a larger problem. > [](https://twitter.com/MiaFarrow/status/897560001170079744) Barbra Streisand felt that the president was showing his true colors. > [](https://twitter.com/BarbraStreisand/status/897587534468972544) Michael Moore led a protest in New York City that Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Kazan, and Olivia Wilde participated in. > [](https://twitter.com/juliereiber/status/897662895244410880) > [](https://twitter.com/cashleelee/status/897645454892179456) Jessica Chastain and Kirk Franklin offered encouragement to those who were made to feel less than by Trump’s remarks. > [](https://twitter.com/jes%5Fchastain/status/897820068926672896) > [](https://twitter.com/kirkfranklin/status/897576782521675778) Gabrielle Union called for action, not silence. > [](https://twitter.com/itsgabrielleu/status/897544502096703489) Zach Braff thought that the President was relying on “alternative facts.” > [](https://twitter.com/zachbraff/status/897822201293881349) While Alyssa Milano pointed out that the President should not make false comparisons. > [](https://twitter.com/Alyssa%5FMilano/status/897797453428162561) Ava DuVernay had a visceral response to the President’s remarks. > [](https://twitter.com/ava/status/897573568791191552) George Takei made a case for the alt-left. > [](https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/897654109645537280) Sarah Silverman had a message for the president. > [](https://twitter.com/SarahKSilverman/status/897662829460942857) Gigi Hadid sounded off on what she felt were limitations to the First Ammendment. > [](https://twitter.com/GiGiHadid/status/897647604913381376) Kumail Nanjiani questioned how someone could support the ideas that the President expressed. > [](https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/897565519993159680) Clay Aiken rescinded his former view that Donald Trump wasn’t racist. > [](https://twitter.com/clayaiken/status/897605240706527233) While Camila Cabello called for impeachment. > [](https://twitter.com/Camila%5FCabello/status/897637234509328384) Damien Chazelle joined Twitter just to sound off on how he felt about Trump’s comments. > [](https://twitter.com/DSChazelle/status/897850390309425153) ## Transcript [00:00] I've condemned neo- Nazis, I've condemned many [00:04] different groups, but not all of those people were [00:08] neo- Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were [00:11] white supremacists. I think there's blame on both [00:13] sides. You look at both sides I think there's blame [00:18] on both sides, and I have no doubt about it. What [00:20] about the alt- left? They came charging, as you say, at [00:23] the alt- right. Do they have any semblance of guilt? [00:27] [ CROSSTALK ]. Let me ask you this, what about the [00:31] fact they came charging with clubs in their hands, [00:34] swinging clubs, Do they have any problem? I think they [00:38] do. There was a group on this side, you can call them [00:41] the left, you've just called them the left, that came [00:44] violently attacking the other group. So you can say what [00:47] you want, but that's they way it is. You had people in [00:50] that group that were there to protest the taking down, [00:54] to them, a very, very important statue, And the [00:57] renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another [01:00] name .>> [ UNKNOWN ] George Washington was a [01:04] slave owner. Was George Washington a slave owner? [01:07] So, will George Washington now lose his status? Excuse [01:12] me. Are we going to take down statues to George [01:16] Washington How about Thomas Jefferson? What do you [01:19] think about Thomas Jefferson? You like him? I do love [01:20] Thomas Jefferson. Okay good. Are we gonna take [01:23] down the statue? Cuz he was a major slave owner. [01:25] Now are we gonna take down his statue? So you know [01:28] what? It's fine. You're changing history. You're changing [01:31] culture. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/"},"headline":"37 Celebrities Condemn Donald Trump's Press Conference","datePublished":"2017-08-16T16:48:32.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T04:40:57.000Z","description":"From Chrissy Teigen to Lady Gaga","url":"https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/","keywords":["Newsfeed","celebrities","viral","twitter","Donald Trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b8390c521f06baf/6988d9f4e76ad27fac62ec01/donald-trump-charlottesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b8390c521f06baf/6988d9f4e76ad27fac62ec01/donald-trump-charlottesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-POLITICS-TRUMP-SECURITY","caption":"US-POLITICS-TRUMP-SECURITY","creditText":"NICHOLAS KAMM—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/","name":"37 Celebrities Condemn Donald Trump's Press Conference"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Trump Again Blames 'Both Sides' for Charlottesville Violence","description":"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.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/EzwfOun0/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-08-15T21:27:49.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EzwfOun0.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/","duration":"PT1M32S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4903006/donald-trump-charloteesville-press-conference-celebrity-reactions/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```