President Donald Trump on Saturday condemned the violence in Charlottesville, Va. — killing one person and injuring 34 others — after white nationalists and protesters clashed, slamming it as an "egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.
"It's been going on for a long time in our country," Trump told reporters at his golf resort in Bedminster, N.J. "Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama.
"This has been going on for a long, long time," he said. "It has no place in America."
Charlottesville Mayor Mike Singer said on Twitter that at least one person died after a car plowed into a crowd in the city's downtown after the rally was canceled by Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
Charlottesville officials later confirmed the death and said that a total of 34 people were injured in the car-plowing attack and in skirmishes at a local park.
McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and halted the rally over the removal of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's statue from Emancipation Park.
"I am heartbroken that a life has been lost here," Singer said in his tweet. "I urge all people of good will — go home."
In New Jersey, President Trump called for "a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives.
"No citizen should ever fear for their safety and security in our society," he said. "No child should ever be afraid to go outside and play or be with their parents and have a good time."
Trump said he talked with McAuliffe and "we agree that the hate and the division must stop — and must stop right now.
"We have to come together as Americans with love for our nation and true — really, I say this so strongly — true affection for each other.
"Our country is doing very well in so many ways," Trump said, touting the nation's recent low unemployment rate and pledges by various companies to build plants in the United States.
"We have so many incredible things happening in our country — so when I watch Charlottesville, to me, it's very, very sad."
Trump praised state and local law enforcement, as well as the National Guard, for its efforts to quell the violence.
"They've been really been working smart and working hard," he said. "They've been doing a terrific job."
The president also pledged federal resources in the effort.
"We are here to provide whatever other assistance is needed," Trump said. "We are ready, willing and able."
President Trump also called for unity as Americans and expressed his love for the country.
"Above all else, we must remember this truth, no matter our color, creed, religion or political party, we are all Americans first," he said.
"We love our country. We love our God. We love our flag. We're proud of our country.
"We're proud of who we are, so we want to get the situation straightened out in Charlottesville."
He added that "we want to study it" because "we want to see what we're doing wrong as a country where things like this can happen.
"My administration is restoring the sacred bonds of loyalty between this nation and its citizens, but our citizens must also restore the bonds of trust and loyalty between one another.
"We must love each other, respect each other and cherish our history and our future together," the president said. "So important.
"We have to respect each other," he added. "Ideally, we have to love each other."
Returning to the violence later in his remarks, Trump said: "We have to heal the wounds of our country.
"These are wounds that have been going on for really a long time.
"And I thought, and everybody thought, and everybody wants it to heal — and it will heal.
"We're going to make every effort possible to make sure that that healing procedure goes as quickly as possible," Trump said.
"I love the people of our country. I love all of the people of our country.
"We're going to make America great again, but we're going to make it great for all of the people of the United States of America."
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