Hoboken Councilman-at-Large/mayoral hopeful Ravi Bhalla says that President Donald Trump had a “failure of moral leadership” in addressing the violent Charlottesville protests. 
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“President Trump’s comments yesterday on Charlottesville were a failure of moral leadership. Let’s be clear. There can be no moral equivalence between white supremacists and neo-Nazis, and those who stand up to bigotry,” Bhalla said in a statement.
“There can be no ‘fine people’ who march with those chanting racist words. More than ever, for our neighborhoods, communities, and schools we need a message of calm, healing, and affirmation of our nation’s highest ideals.”
Trump faced criticism for not condemning the violence in Charlottesville until Monday, two days after the Virginia protests occurred.
Yesterday, Trump blamed both sides, also noting he had condemned neo-Nazis and various other different groups in the past (h/t The New York Times).
“I think there is blame on both sides. You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say that. I’ll say it right now,” remarked Trump.
“I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups. Not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists by any stretch.â€
At the grand opening of his campaign headquarters last month, Bhalla said Hoboken residents could count on him at the local, state and national level.
“You can count on me as a mayor, whether it’s the local level, the state level or the national level. I will stand up for the residents of Hoboken and protect our interests no matter what,†he said at the time.