Washington, Aug 26 (IANS): The Republican National Committee has unanimously approved a resolution condemning white supremacists, Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the Nazis, two weeks after President Donald Trump's controversial comments on the Charlottesville violence.
"The racist beliefs of Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and other like-minded groups are completely inconsistent with the Republican Party's platform," the resolution said on Friday.
The decision by the city council of Charlottesville, Virginia, to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a local public park sparked a white supremacist rally on August 12 that later turned into violent clashes between rival protesters.
A 32-year-old woman was killed and 19 others were injured when a car driven by a suspected Nazi supporter plowed into a crowd protesting white supremacism.
Trump has been under widespread bipartisan criticism after claiming there is "blame on both sides" for the deadly violence.
"The racist beliefs of the Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and others are repulsive, evil, and have no fruitful place in the United States," the committee said on the final day of a three-day meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.
Local analysts said the move highlights the level of concern within the party over Trump's comments on the protests against the white supremacists' rally and the impact they could have on the party heading into the 2018 midterm election.