Celebrities including Olivia Wilde, Mark Ruffalo and Michael Moore led a protest against President Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower in NYC on Tuesday, August 15.
During a press conference earlier that day, Trump, 71, denounced white supremacists by claiming “both sides” were to blame during the Charlottesville, Virginia, rally on Saturday, August 12, where one anti-white supremacist protestor was killed after James Alex Fields Jr., an alleged white nationalist, deliberately plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protestors.
“I think there is blame on both sides,” the former Celebrity Apprentice host told reporters. “I have no doubt about it, and you don’t have any doubt about it either. … You had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people on both sides. I saw the same pictures as you did.”
“What about the alt left that came charging…at the alt right?” he asked one reporter. “Do they have any semblance of guilt?” Trump also asked if people would call for statues of George Washington be taken down next, as the Charlottesville rally was to protest a statue of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee being removed.
“In case you missed it, here’s the bucket of bullsh-t he called a press conference. Unreal. Protest at Trump Tower tonight. See you there,” Wilde, 33, wrote on Twitter.
Ruffalo was joined by documentary filmmaker Moore and addressed the crowd, saying the protest was to honor victim Heather Heyer. “We’re here to commemorate a life of an American that was killed by a Nazi on American soil,” the 49-year-old actor said on Tuesday night. “Let’s say her name so Donald Trump can hear what’s happened here. He’s allowed these people, he’s allowed facism, he’s allowed the KKK, he’s allowed Nazis to show their ugly face, and we’re here to remind him there’s a cost for that!”
Wilde added, chanting: “Trump is not a legitimate president! Trump is not America! We love America!”
Celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen, LeBron James, Chris Evans and more also spoke out against Trump’s comments on Twitter.
“Trump is like, actually racist. He isn’t ‘saying the wrong thing.’ He is actually racist and means this. Holy sh-t lol what a f—king idiot,” Teigen tweeted.
One good thing about that abomination of a speech: it’s now impossible for any Trump supporter to pretend they don’t know what he is.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 15, 2017
Hate has always existed in America. Yes we know that but Donald Trump just made it fashionable again! Statues has nothing to do with us now!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 15, 2017
It is time for all the generals that trump has appointed to declare him unfit for office. He is unfit and unstable. This is madness.
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) August 15, 2017
It’s still hard for me to believe so many people voted for this idiot. This is your fault too.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) August 15, 2017
I can NOT believe what I’m watching on television right now. How is this man our president? Honestly?
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) August 15, 2017
W/o a prepared statement, this Pres says what he really believes: Equating neo-Nazis to those protecting civil rights is disgraceful & crazy
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) August 15, 2017
That press conference kinda just blew up my brain. Everyone should watch that entire thing from beginning to end. It’s truly shocking.
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) August 15, 2017
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