Snopes Admits Trump Never Praised Neo-Nazis, Dealing Blow to Biden's Attacks

In a surprising move, left-leaning fact-checking website Snopes has ruled that former President Donald Trump never praised Charlottesville neo-Nazis as "very fine people," undermining one of President Biden's favorite attacks.

Former President Donald Trump's comments about the 2017 Charlottesville protest have been a source of controversy, with critics accusing him of aligning with neo-Nazis. However, a recent ruling by the fact-checking website Snopes has cast doubt on this narrative, potentially disrupting one of President Biden's primary attacks on Trump.

Snopes' checker, Taija Perry Cook, concluded that Trump did not endorse neo-Nazis at the press conference, but rather specifically denounced them. This finding directly contradicts a claim that has been repeatedly used by Biden and other Democrats to paint Trump as sympathetic to white supremacists.

Snopes Admits Trump Never Praised Neo-Nazis, Dealing Blow to Biden's Attacks

The timing of Snopes' ruling is particularly notable, occurring just before the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden. It is possible that the debunking of this claim could inhibit Biden from using it as an attack line against Trump on the debate stage.

Furthermore, the ruling highlights the partisan nature of many fact-checking organizations. Snopes, despite claiming to be independent, has a history of bias against conservatives. Their decision to debunk this claim at a time that benefits Biden raises concerns about their objectivity.

Snopes Admits Trump Never Praised Neo-Nazis, Dealing Blow to Biden's Attacks

Historically, the left-leaning media and Democratic partisans have falsely accused Trump of sympathizing with neo-Nazis, seizing on his comments about "very fine people on both sides" of the Charlottesville controversy.

President Biden's presidential campaign announcement video included this misinformation, linking Trump to the spread of hate speech and white supremacy. Other fact-checkers, such as PolitiFact, have attempted to provide context for Trump's remarks but have not explicitly labeled them as false.

Snopes Admits Trump Never Praised Neo-Nazis, Dealing Blow to Biden's Attacks

In a statement following Snopes' ruling, the Trump campaign condemned Biden for spreading lies about his views on Charlottesville. The campaign also accused left-leaning media outlets and organizations of actively undermining democracy by discrediting their opponents through biased "fact-checking."

The pro-Biden media have advocated for real-time fact-checking of Trump's speeches, arguing that his statements are unreliable and should not be aired live. This reliance on "independent" fact-checkers suggests that these organizations are seen as reliable sources of information that can be used to attack political opponents.

However, the Snopes ruling has undermined the credibility of these organizations, particularly among conservatives who question their objectivity. Ideally, Democrats seek to be viewed as synonymous with democracy and facts; ruling against them erodes this branding and could weaken their attacks on the Republican Party.

While the ruling is a welcome development for Trump and his supporters, it also exposes the partisan dynamics of fact-checking and raises questions about the reliability of organizations like Snopes.