Trump claims 'I don't know who Proud Boys are' and finally tells them to 'stand down' after telling them to 'stand by' at debate - as Biden orders the far-right gang to 'Cease and desist' after they promised 'action'
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he doesn't know who the Proud Boys are but advised them to stand down after the militant group used his debate remarks as a rallying cry.
Trump has come under fire from Democratic rival Joe Biden and some members of his own party for failing to condemn white supremacists when given the chance on the debate stage Tuesday night.
'I've always denounced any form of any of that,' the president said Wednesday on the South Lawn of the White House before he left for Minnesota.
He also claimed he didn't know who the Proud Boys are even though he called them out by name during the debate.
'I don't know who the Proud Boys are, if you want to give me a definition,' he said.
'I don't know who Proud Boys are, but they have to stand down and let law enforcement do their work,' he added.
He then pivoted to an attack on Democratic rival Joe Biden and antifa, a left wing political philosophy the president has tried to paint as a hate group.
'Let law enforcement do the work. Now antifa is a real problem, because the problem is on the left. And Biden refuses to talk about it. He refuses to issue the word "Law and order." You saw that last night when he choked up,' Trump said.
'Joe Biden has to say something about antifa. It's not a philosophy,' he noted. 'These are people that hit people over the head.'
Antifa is an unorganized group opposed to extreme right-wing political groups like fascists. It's a political idea that many different groups support. And law enforcement has found no evidence these groups were working with the Black Lives Matter protesters in cities across the United States.
Meanwhile, Biden warned the Proud Boys to 'cease and desist' after the far right group celebrated the president's remarks online.
'Cease and desist. The American people will decide who the next president of the United States will be, period,' Biden said in Ohio Wednesday in his first remarks after his chaotic debate with the president.
'My message to the Proud Boys and every white supremacy group is cease and desist. This is not who we are as Americans,' he added.
In one many stand out moments during the first presidential debate, Trump declined to condemn white supremacists and civilian militias when asked. The president then appeared to issue a call to arms to the Proud Boys, a militant group of mostly white men.
'Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, but I tell you what, somebody has got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right wing problem, this is a left-wing problem,' Trump said when he was challenged to condemn white supremacists during Tuesday's presidential debate.
President Donald Trump said he doesn't know who the Proud Boys are but advised them to stand down after the militant group used his debate remarks as a rallying cry
Joe Biden warned the far right group Proud Boys to 'cease and desist' after they turned President Donald Trump's remarks about them during the presidential debate into a rallying cry
Members of the Proud Boys gather outside a rally where President Trump officially launched his re-election campaign on June 18, 2019 in Orlando
Several hundred members of the Proud Boys and other similar groups gathered for a rally at Delta Park in Portland in September
Proud Boys is a far-right organization that admits only men as members and promotes and engages in political violence. The group believes white men and western culture are under siege and one of its co-founders recorded a video titled '10 things I hate about the Jews.'
Members celebrated Trump's words online, telling the president: 'We're ready.' Their account on the social media app Telegram posted: 'Standing down and standing by sir.'
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal advocacy organization, has designated the all-male Proud Boys as a hate group. The group is known for its violent clashes at political rallies. Members were spotted at a Trump rally in Colorado in February.
Several Republicans have called on the president to clear up his debate remarks on white supremacists.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney said 'of course' the president should have condemned white supremacists during the presidential debate Tuesday night.
'Of course, of course,' Romney, who's openly criticized Trump when he disagrees with the president, told reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning.
'It was not a Lincoln Douglas debate, that's for sure,' he added.
Other Republicans said they would give the president a chance to explain, including Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black GOP senator.
'I think he misspoke in response to Chris Wllace's comment,' Scott said on Capitol Hill Wednesday. 'He was asking Chris what he wanted to say. I think he misspoke. I think he should correct it. If he doesn't correct it I guess he didn't misspeak.'
And Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana said the president should have been clear that extremist groups from both the left and right should be condemned.
'He should have been very clear, and he should have made it very clear that there's no room for people on the far left or the far more far right. When it comes to either an antifa or these white supremacist groups should have been very clear,' Young said.
The Proud Boys were celebrating online Tuesday night after Donald Trump told them to 'stand back and stand by' during the first presidential debate
Following the shout out several members of the group appeared to pledge their allegiance to the president. One social media account connected to the organization even appeared to made 'Stand back. Stand by' part of a new logo
Republican Senator Mitt Romney said 'of course' President Donald Trump should have condemned white supremacists during the presidential debate
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina said President Trump should clarify his remarks on white supremacists made in the presidential debate
Following the debate shout out, several members of Proud Boys pledged their allegiance to the president.
One social media account connected to the organization even appeared to made 'Stand back. Stand by' part of a new logo.
Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs wrote: 'President Trump told the proud boys to stand by because someone needs to deal with ANTIFA... well sir! we're ready!
'Trump basically said to go f*** them up! this makes me so happy.'
Joe Biden retweeted a post which looked to show a number of their posts in the wake of Trump's comments.
He wrote: 'This. This is Donald Trump's America.'
Republican Senator Mitt Romney said 'of course' President Donald Trump should have condemned white supremacists during the presidential debate Tuesday night.
'Of course, of course,' Romney, who's openly criticized Trump when he disagrees with the president, told reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning.
'It was not a Lincoln Douglas debate, that's for sure,' he added of the clash between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden that pundits dubbed a 's*** show' and 'dumpster fire.'
Other Republicans said they would give the president a chance to explain, including Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black GOP senator.
'I think he misspoke in response to Chris Wllace's comment,' Scott said on Capitol Hill Wednesday. 'He was asking Chris what he wanted to say. I think he misspoke. I think he should correct it. If he doesn't correct it I guess he didn't misspeak.'
And Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana said the president should have been clear that extremist groups from both the left and right should be condemned.
'He should have been very clear, and he should have made it very clear that there's no room for people on the far left or the far more far right. When it comes to either an antifa or these white supremacist groups should have been very clear,' Young said.
And Hogan Gidley, the spokesman for the Trump campaign, said the president condemned them three times during the debate.
'He did call them out. He has condemned them,' Gidley said on CNN. 'He said sure three times.'
Some of the president's other supporters also said he missed out on the chance to condemn such hate groups, including Brian Kilmeade, one of the co-hosts of Trump's favorite morning show 'Fox & Friends.'
'Donald Trump ruined the biggest layup in the history of debates by not condemning white supremacists,' Kilmeade said on the cable news morning show Wednesday.
'I don't know if he didn't hear it, but he's gotta clarify that right away,' he added. 'Why the president didn't just knock it out of the park, I'm not sure.'
The Proud Boys hold a rally in Portland, Oregon on Saturday. Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency prior to Saturdays rally as fears of political violence between Proud Boys and Black Lives Matter protesters grew.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted: 'It's astonishing that, when asked a simple question, will you condemn white supremacists, @POTUS responded - 'The Proud Boys should stand back and stand by.'
'Trying to determine if this was an answer or an admission. @POTUS owes America an apology or an explanation. Now.'
Proud Boys describes itself as a fraternal organization that 'venerates the housewife' and is 'anti-political correctness.' It has been suspended from both Twitter and Facebook.
Computer science professor Megan Squire told NBC News: 'To say Proud Boys are energized by this is an understatement.
'They were pro-Trump before this shoutout, and they are absolutely over the moon now. Their fantasy is to fight antifa in his defense, and he apparently just asked them to do just that.'
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the president's campaign, said Trump's call to 'stand by' was 'very clear he wants them to knock it off'.
A Proud Boy wearing a Proud Boys yamaka is seen during a Proud Boys Rally at Delta Park Vanport. The Oregon governor declared an emergency in advance of the event hosted by a right-wing group with a history of violence at protests
Members of the far-right group posted about the shout out, telling the president: 'We're ready.' Their account on the social media app Telegram posted: 'Standing down and standing by sir'
The Trump campaign tweeted afterward: 'President Trump has repeatedly condemned white supremacists. What a ridiculous question from Chris Wallace.'
Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes started the Proud Boys in 2016.
McInnes and the Proud Boys have described the group as a politically incorrect men's club for 'Western chauvinists' and deny affiliations with far-right extremist groups that overtly espouse racist and anti-Semitic views.
In February last year, McInnes sued the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling the Proud Boys as a hate group.
In response to the lawsuit, the law center said Proud Boys members often spread 'outright bigotry' over the internet and have posted social media pictures of themselves with prominent Holocaust deniers, white nationalists and 'known neo-Nazis.'
In New York City in October 2018, police arrested several Proud Boys members who brawled with anti-fascist protesters following a speech by McInnes at a Manhattan Republican club.
Proud Boys members also have frequently clashed with counterprotesters at rallies in California and Oregon.
About 1,000 people gathered at the Proud Boys rally in Delta Park on Saturday, while a group of 500 left-wing counter-protesters massed at nearby Peninsula Park, leading to fears of clashes.
Ahead of the right-wing rally, which organizers said was to support President Donald Trump and 'to end domestic terrorism', Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency and Mayor Ted Wheeler said it poses the 'greatest threat we've faced so far' amid fears of clashes with left-wing protesters.
President Donald Trump listens to Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate Tuesday
Debate moderator Chris Wallace asked the president if he would condemn white supremacists and militia groups.
'I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing,' Trump said.
Wallace asked him to clarify what he meant.
'I'm willing to do anything, I want to see peace,' Trump said.
'Then do it, sir,' Wallace challenged.
'What do you want to call them? Give me a name, give me a name,' Trump said.
'White supremacist and right wing militias,' Wallace said.
Instead, Trump turned to attack antifa, an unorganized group opposed to extreme right-wing political groups like fascists.
'Proud boys, stand back and stand by, but I tell you what, somebody has got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right wing problem, this is a left-wing problem,' he said.
But antifa is not an organization - it's a political idea that many different groups support. And law enforcement has found no evidence these groups were working with the Black Lives Matter protesters in cities across the United States.
Trump has declined to call out the citizen militias that have sprung up during the protests as he declined to do Tuesday night.
'Antifa is an idea not an organization. His FBI director said,' Biden said.
'Antifa is a dangerous, radical,' Trump started saying as Wallace interrupted him to say they were moving on to another topic.
But the president got in one last zinger on antifa: 'They'll overthrow you.'
Race relations, like other debate topics, resulted in a furious back-and-forth, shouting over each other conversation between the presidential contenders.
At one point in the night, Biden called Trump a 'racist' when the two men debated race relations in the country.
Trump was defending his decision to end racial sensitivity training for federal workers when his Democratic rival hit him with the 'racist' label.
