Trump Tells Proud Boys to "Stand Back and Stand By" When Asked to Condemn White Supremacists

President Trump refuses to unequivocally condemn white supremacists during the first 2020 presidential debate in Cleveland on September 29, 2020. Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News asks Trump directly to "condemn white supremacists and militia groups." After prodding from both Wallace and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Trump addresses the Proud Boys — a far-right, anti-immigrant group designated as a terrorist organization by Canada — saying, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by." Members of the Proud Boys celebrate on Telegram within minutes, using the phrase in their logo and posting videos of Trump's remarks captioned "God. Family. Brotherhood." FBI Director Christopher Wray has testified to Congress that "racially motivated violent extremism," predominantly from white supremacist groups, constitutes "the biggest chunk" of domestic terrorism. Trump attempts to walk back the remarks at a White House press conference the following day, then finally explicitly condemns the group in a Fox News interview two days later.