Both major party candidates for South Dakota US Senate say President Trump should have denounced white supremacy during the debate Tuesday night.
Republican US Senator Mike Rounds says he watched the Yankees-Cleveland game, instead of the debate Tuesday night.
Rounds says he caught the last 15 minutes of the debate, live, and caught up on it the next morning.
Rounds says he didn’t care for the insults and interruptions and America’s kids deserve to see better from both candidates.
At one point, President Donald Trump failed to denounce a white supremacy group mentioned by Vice President Joe Biden. Rounds says both sides should condemn violent ideology.
“Both candidates should have made it very clear that they denounce the extreme and violent groups on both sides—both the far left and the far right,” Rounds says. “I don’t care what name they are by, if they’re like the KKK we should be denouncing them every chance we get. If they’re like antifa, we should be denouncing them every chance we get. Both of these two candidates should have done that last night.”
Rounds’ challenger, Democrat Dan Ahlers, agrees that violence is not the answer to solving any social problems and injustices in the country.
He says it’s a serious problem that needs addressed. He says law enforcement should be a part of that conversation.
“The healing isn’t going to start until there is dialogue,” Ahlers says. “With regards to the president not denouncing a white supremacist group—we’ve seen this over and over—it’s part of his base. Right now, for him I’m guessing, it’s about an election and winning and election. If you denouncement, it’s part of your voting base.”
Ahlers says good leadership has a moral obligation to stand up and speak out against hate groups.
