[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I'll take a now contrarian opinion, and say that the "stand down, stand by" comment was not inciteful. It was him just blurting out phrases he thought fit the moment.

I you think he very carefully chose those words to message something very specific, and that the notion of giving a command was a clever, veiled, strategic communication - I think you're giving him too much credit.

It makes for good copy, and for good clickbait, to claim that he all but offered a "heil" salute to the SS... but I didn't hear/see that, myself.

Now, that he wasn't quick to denounce white supremacy or those groups - I was offended by his evasiveness there. And his tactic of whataboutism to cover up his racist tendencies and followers, I am perpetually offended by that.

But this exact wording, I think it just came out, and hit the ear wrong.

(You can be sure that a comparable mini-blunder by Biden would be assailed similarly by the right)

But Trump is such a fool that he won't be able to admit that and mitigate the damage. By the weekend the entire GOP will be explaining how the Proud Boys are primarily concerned with voter fraud and not white supremacy. He may even have a cabinet meeting so Ben Carson can say he supports the Proud Boys.