President Donald Trump "compromised" his "moral authority" amid the Charlottesville protest violence by adding comments Tuesday which wound up "erasing" his previously "strong" comments, according to the only African American Republican in the U.S. Senate.
"I'm not going to defend the indefensible," Sen. Tim Scott told HBO's "VICE News Tonight," which will air Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET. "I'm not here to do that.
"I'm here to be clear, precise, succinct: His comments were strong. His comments on Tuesday started erasing the comments that were strong."
Trump's expounding on his Charlottesville reaction in a Tuesday news conference – after denouncing the violence Saturday and more specifically condemning hate groups Monday – wound up "compromising" Trump's "moral authority," Scott said.
"We want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority," Scott told HBO. "That moral authority's compromised when Tuesday happens. There's no question about that.
"We should all call that on the carpet. I certainly have."
Scott joined Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. in judging Trump's Charlottesville reaction as damaging to the administration, with Corker adding a call for "radical changes" in the White House and Trump's "character."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, refused to comment on his opinion of Trump's statements, but he did go as far as ruling Saturday's protest violence "an act of domestic terrorism."
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