Following the tragedy that unfolded in Charlottesville, Va., Donald Trump had one job to do as leader of the United States of America: directly denounce the violence perpetrated by white supremacists that resulted in the death of one woman and injured 19 more.
But while Trump eventually condemned the fatal violence carried out by groups like the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and other far-right groups, he ultimately doubled down on his initial equivocating response blaming “both sides” for the violence between white supremacists and counterprotesters.
“You had a group on one side that was bad, and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent,” Trump told reporters during a chaotic press conference earlier in the week. “I think there’s blame on both sides.”
Whether it was Republicans, Democrats or U.S. business leaders and even the residents of Charlottesville, Trump’s response to his first major domestic crisis has been roundly criticized and could become a defining moment in his presidency and lead to further chaos in the White House.
Here is what happened this week in the world of the 45th U.S. President.
WATCH: Fallout escalating for Donald Trump over Charlottesville response
Aug 17: Trump condemns Barcelona attack
Amidst the uproar over his response to Charlottesville, Trump quickly condemned a terror attack in Barcelona, Spain on Thursday that killed at least 13 people.
“The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough & strong, we love you,” the president wrote.
READ MORE: Terror attack in Barcelona leaves at least 13 people dead and 50 injured
Trump’s statement on Twitter came just hours after a van rammed through a crowd in the Spanish city.
WATCH: Car rams into protesters at white nationalists rally in Charlottesville
Also on Thursday, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham denounced Trump’s response to the racist violence in Charlottesville.
READ MORE: Psychologists find ‘alt-right’ supporters more likely to ‘blatantly dehumanize’ racial groups
Trump blasted the Senator and denied he had drawn a “moral equivalency” between white supremacists and counter-protesters.
“Publicity seeking Lindsey Graham falsely stated that I said there is moral equivalency between the KKK, neo-Nazis & white supremacists and people like Ms. Heyer. Such a disgusting lie,” the president tweeted. “He just can’t forget his election trouncing. The people of South Carolina will remember!”
And two polls showed Trump’s approval rating has slid to 35 per cent, his lowest mark since taking office, while Americans disapproved of his response to Charlottesville. But one poll from the Public Religion Research Institute found that Trump continues to earn high marks from a key part of the Republican base: white evangelicals, with 65 per cent saying they have a favorable view of Trump.
Aug 16: Charlottesville fallout
Trump’s decision to defend far-right extremists shook his administration, with the Associated Press reporting that some top officials were considering leaving.
WATCH: Trump likens counter-protesters to white nationalists
Video of General John Kelly, Trump’s new chief of staff, showed Kelly standing with his eyes fixed on the floor and grimacing when Trump veered off-script at his Manhattan office tower on Tuesday.
Many, including Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, say Trump is “failing” in his first major test of leadership.
“The president needs to be crystal-clear that hatred has no place in our society, but he is currently failing at it,” Gallagher said.
The exodus of business executives from Trump’s manfacturing councils also continued on Wednesday, before the president abruptly closed them down.
“For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!” Trump tweeted.
READ MORE: Are people more open about being racist? Some blame the political climate
And with the images of white supremacists carrying torches and chanting “Jews will not replace us!” still making headlines, it had many questioning why some appeared to be OK with such overt displays of racism. Experts say such displays could be attributed to the current political climate in North America.
Former white supremacists who spoke with Global News say they weren’t surprised by the violence, and warned the same sort of thing could happen in Canada.
READ MORE: Former white supremacists not surprised by deadly violence
Aug 15: What about the ‘alt-left’?
In the wake of the events from Virginia, white nationalists say they feel emboldened and are planning more demonstrations, including some in Canada.
And though Trump directly denounced white supremacy, he backtracked during a bizarre press conference at Trump Tower where he said the “alt-left” shared responsibility for the Virginia violence.
WATCH: Trump blames ‘charging alt-left’ for Charlottesville violence
“What about the alt-left that came charging at the, as you say, the alt-right? Do they have any semblance of guilt?” he asked a reporter.
READ MORE: 6 highlights from Donald Trump’s derailed press conference
The Twittersphere lit up with responses to Trump’s tirade.
And while Donald Trump (mistakenly?) retweeted someone who called him a “fascist” former president Barack Obama’s tweet in response to Charlottesville became one of the most-liked post in Twitter’s history.
READ MORE: Charlottesville victim’s mother: You didn’t ‘shut her up,’ you ‘magnified’ her
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office attempted to downplay a report about the close relationship between Trudeau senior staffer Gerald Butts and Trump’s adviser, Steve Bannon. A piece published Tuesday in the New Yorker described Butts and Bannon as “friends” and noted the two “talk regularly.”
Also Tuesday, North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un said he would not launch a threatened missile attack on Guam, according to a statement released by Pyongyang’s state media. However, the leader of the Hermit Kingdom said he could change his mind “if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions.”
Aug 14: Trump calls out the KKK
As the work week began, in the wake of the violent clashes in Charlottesville that killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer, Donald Trump finally caved to political pressure from all sides and directly condemned white supremacists by name.
WATCH: Trump calls white supremacists ‘repugnant’ after public outcry
“Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans,” Trump said from the White House.
READ MORE: How the ‘Unite the Right’ rally turned violent and sparked backlash against Donald Trump
Critics charged that Trump had waited too long to address the bloodshed, and slammed him for his equivocating response on Aug. 12 that “many sides” were responsible for the violent melees.
Members of the so-called “alt-right” — a collection of far-right groups that include white supremacists and neo-Nazis — had converged on the streets of Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert. E. Lee.
Video and images captured the haunting scenes of violence that saw a 20-year-old alleged Nazi sympathizer ram his car into a group of counter-protesters.
Merck & Co. CEO Kenneth Frazier resigned Monday from a business panel led by Trump, citing a need for leadership countering bigotry. He was soon followed by the CEO of Under Armour and other business leaders.
“America’s leaders must honour our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy,” said Frazier.
Late-night comedians also spoke out on the deadly events in Charlottesville, with Jimmy Fallon opening his show with a heartfelt message: “We can’t go backward. It’s important for everyone, especially white people in this country, to speak out against this,” he said.
“Ignoring it is just as bad as supporting it.”
WATCH: Jimmy Fallon delivers emotional monologue about racism and Charlottesville violence
— With files from the Associated Press and Reuters
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