The White House on Tuesday provided surrogates with a memo full of talking points to defend President Donald Trump's press conference hours earlier in which he placed the blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Va. on "both sides" of protesters.
A Republican source provided CNN with the memo, which lists several talking points to use to stand behind the president.
Trump has received significant backlash following his press conference at Trump Tower in New York City, where he appeared to say that white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville were equally responsible for the violence that occurred.
The memo places an emphasis on violence from left-wing "extremists," and notes that Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it had completed "the largest prosecution of white supremacists in the nation's history."
CNN published the full list of talking points:
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The President was entirely correct -- both sides of the violence in Charlottesville acted inappropriately, and bear some responsibility.
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Despite the criticism, the President reaffirmed some of our most important Founding principles: We are equal in the eyes of our Creator, equal under the law, and equal under our Constitution.
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He has been a voice for unity and calm, encouraging the country to "rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that brings us together as Americans."
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He called for the end of violence on all sides so that no more innocent lives would be lost. The President condemned the hate groups fueled by bigotry and racism over the weekend, and did so by name yesterday, but for the media that will never be enough.
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The media reacted with hysteria to the notion that counter-protesters showed up with clubs spoiling for a fight, a fact that reporters on the ground have repeatedly stated.
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Even a New York Times reporter tweeted that she "saw club-wielding 'antifa' beating white nationalists being led out of the park."
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The local ACLU chapter also tweeted: "Not sure who provoked first. Both sides were hitting each other at Justice Park before police arrived."
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We should not overlook the facts just because the media finds them inconvenient.
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From cop killing and violence at political rallies, to shooting at congressmen at a practice baseball game, extremists on the left have engaged in terrible acts of violence.
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The President is taking swift action to hold violent hate groups accountable.
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The DOJ has opened a civil rights investigation into this weekend's deadly car attack.
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Last Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it had completed the largest prosecution of white supremacists in the nation's history.
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Leaders and the media in our country should join the president in trying to unite and heal our country rather than incite more division.