Trump retweets far-right activist after condemning hate groups

President Trump retweeted a far-right activist hours after calling out for the first time specific hate groups for their role in last weekend’s violence in Charlottesville, Va.

The president retweeted Jack Posobiec, who shared a story about shootings in Chicago and questioned where the “national media outrage” was.

“Meanwhile: 39 shootings in Chicago this weekend, 9 deaths. No national media outrage. Why is that?” Posobiec tweeted Monday.

Meanwhile: 39 shootings in Chicago this weekend, 9 deaths. No national media outrage. Why is that? https://t.co/9Crutnnrp8

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) August 14, 2017

The retweet came after Trump on Monday said “racism is evil” and for the first time called out the KKK, neo-Nazis and other hate groups for their role in the weekend’s violence in Charlottesville, where clashes between white supremacists and counterprotesters left one dead and dozens injured.

“Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to what we hold dear as Americans,” Trump said in public comments from the White House.

Posobiec, a supporter of Trump during the presidential race, is known for promoting “alt-right” conspiracy theories. He has promoted the discredited conspiracy that the Democratic National Committee was behind the killing of former employee Seth Rich and pushed the false “pizzagate” allegations against the Hillary Clinton campaign that led to an armed man firing off rounds in a D.C. restaurant.

Trump had faced backlash over the weekend for his initial comments about the violent clashes in Virginia.

The president blamed “many sides” for what happened in Charlottesville and did not specifically mention white supremacists, neo-Nazis or any other group that marched.