Hartford, Ct. – Connecticut Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto released the following statement.

“President Donald Trump is once again using the highest office in the land to drive hatred and division. The neo-Nazis and white supremacists are squarely to blame for this weekend’s violence, full stop.

“They deserve to be condemned in the strongest possible terms by the president. Yet we continue to see cowardice and weakness from an office that we trust to lead our nation and a president who appears to seek the support of the extreme elements of his base.

“Justice, diversity and inclusion are central to the state of Connecticut, and Democrats will fight every day to preserve and protect those values. Yet, on issue after issue, Connecticut Republicans have fallen in line with Trump. Now more than ever we need our GOP colleagues to speak out not only in support of equality, but to hold the president to account for his words and actions.

“Connecticut Republicans can no longer benefit from Trump when it’s politically convenient, but cower and hide when when he does something shameful. That’s not leadership, and Connecticut residents deserve better. Lets be very clear, staying silent or deflecting blame is not just bad politics in Connecticut; it is a fundamental failure of leadership and commitment to advancing the interests of all of the residents of our state. And we expect our leaders not just to speak out and mean what they say, but to ensure that their party and the offices they hold reflect the values we expect in leaders.”