Record of the Press · 2012–Present
Released to the public · 31 OCT 2026File TBL-0023
DEBUNKED

Charlottesville 'Very Fine People'

15 AUG 2017 · The Atlantic, Many national outlets
Screenshot of the page as published at theatlantic.com (via Wayback Machine)
EXHIBIT A — Page capture from theatlantic.com (via Wayback Machine). Click to open the source.

■ The claim

Coverage of Trump's Aug. 15, 2017 press conference framed his 'very fine people on both sides' remark as a defense of white nationalists, and the shorthand that he called neo-Nazis very fine people was repeated for years. The Atlantic's headline said he defended white-nationalist protesters.

■ What actually happened

The official White House transcript shows that in the same exchange Trump said he was not talking about the neo-Nazis and white nationalists, who he said should be condemned totally, and claimed others at the rally were there to protest a statue's removal. In June 2024 Snopes rated the claim that he called neo-Nazis and white supremacists very fine people False. Snopes also noted that whether there were in fact 'very fine people' among a rally organized by white nationalists is itself questionable; the debunking is limited to who he said the phrase applied to.

■ The proof

Trump White House transcript of the Aug. 15, 2017 remarks; Snopes fact check (June 20, 2024) rating the claim False.

■ Original reporting

■ Corrections, findings & records

■ Wayback Machine copies

Stories sometimes get edited after publication. These links open the Internet Archive's earliest snapshot of each original.

Who it helped: DemocratsBecame a central Biden 2020 campaign message.

■ Grade

DEBUNKED: Shown false by evidence or official findings, whether or not the outlet corrected it. How we grade →