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COLUMBIA An angry tweeter directed his ire at U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan this week.

After President Donald Trump's insistence there were "very fine people" protesting at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., and that "both sides" were at fault for violence that broke out, the man wrote that Duncan had "lost whatever credibility he has left by his defense of Trump."

Duncan, a Laurens Republican, had chosen not to single out white supremacists for particular condemnation but spoke out generally against "violence" and added, "I agree with the President when he says that we are all Americans first."

"Who does he represent?" the tweeter demanded to know.

Duncan responded simply: "The people of South Carolina."

Major Palmetto State Republicans offered a divergent array of responses,from direct opposition to ambiguous agreement, regarding Trump's controversial decisionto blame "both sides" for the violence in Charlottesville.

South Carolina's U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott offered the most forceful condemnations, both taking the president to task for suggesting a "moral equivalency" between white nationalists and the counter-protesters who opposed them.

But most GOP U.S. House members and gubernatorial candidates from South Carolina took a more cautious stance, condemning "evil" and "violence" while declining to specify white supremacists or directly address the president's characterization.

"The evil that was displayed in #Charlottesville cannot be tolerated or condoned by the American people and has no place in our great country," tweeted U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill.

Graham, who days earlier had served as one of the most vocal surrogates for Trump's aggressive approach towards North Korea, landed in the president's crosshairs on Twitter due to his criticism of the Charlottesville response.

"The people of South Carolina will remember!" Trump warned.

But the people of South Carolina won't have a chance to weigh in on Graham's electoral future until 2020, when the senator who cruised to re-election in 2014 is next on the ballot.

House Republicans on the other hand, all of whom will have to convince primary voters to renominate them within a matter of months next June, tend to be a closer barometer of their constituents real-time mood. And they have been far more circumspect about the president.

"Political courage is often measured by the distance to your next election," said Dave Wilson, a South Carolina GOP strategist. "The closer you are to facing the voters again is often the best indicator as to whether you are willing to take certain risks."

Rep. Tom Rice, R-Myrtle Beach, was the only S.C. Republican in Congress to specifically cite "white supremacists" as the group to blame for Charlottesville.

"Call them what they are," Rice wrote on Facebook. "I also call them cowards."

The five other House Republicans in the state's delegation offered less forceful responses to the president's message. Not one was willing to rebuke their party's standard bearer by name.

A majority of Americans 52 percent felt the presidents response to Charlottesville was not strong enough, according to a poll conducted by NPR, Marist and PBS Newshour. But that same poll found that 59 percent of Republicans thought Trumps response was just fine.

In a state where most Republican officeholders face a more serious threat in June's GOP primary than November's general election, they are more likely to pay attention to the latter number.

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, from the Upstate, has repeatedly admonished his fellow Republicans for not standing up to Trump. After the latest episode, Inglis declared that Republicans are "in an abusive relationship" with the president.

"There's only one way to solve an abusive relationship, and that is leave," Inglis told The Post and Courier.

Inglis pointed to a proverb he often heard from former Democratic Sen. Fritz Hollings of Charleston: "No education in the second kick of a mule."

"How many more kicks do Republicans have to take to the gut before they realize that this old mule is really difficult to deal with?" Inglis asked.

But it is precisely Inglis' fate crushed in a GOP primary by now-Rep. Trey Gowdy as part of the tea party wave of 2010 that Republican politicians are desperate to avoid. Still, the ex-congressman implores his former colleagues to abandon fear of losing.

"You're worthless to the process if you're not willing to lead and risk your seat, so you may as well go home," Inglis said.

State Sen. Tom Davis agrees. The Beaufort Republican is likely running for governor next year but he insists he won't let political calculations stop him from speaking his mind.

"Let me be clear," Davis toldThe Post and Courier: "I think President Trump was wrong to suggest a moral equivalency between the white supremacist neo-Nazis and KKK members who attended the Charlottesville rally and the counter-protesters. He did say, I guess to his credit, that it wasn't his intent. But it's very difficult to unring a bell."

The three other major gubernatorial candidates Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant and former Department of Health and Environmental Control Director Catherine Templeton all steered clear from opining on the president's stance.

McMaster offered prayers for Virginia and pointed to the "heart" South Carolina demonstrated after a racially charged shooting at a Charleston church in 2015. Bryant said the problem on display in Charlottesville was people taking their "beliefs to a level of violence." Templeton warned against letting "thedark voices at the extremes take over."

Davis assures Republicans he is "rooting for the president to be successful, as any American should."

"But on the other hand, it's also the responsibility of public officials, if he says or does something that you disagree with, to say so," Davis said.

With unified Republican control in Washington, upsetting voters is not the only reason to avoid crossing the president. Party leaders still see an opportunity to enact historic reforms on taxes, health care, infrastructure and other issues and they won't be able to do it without Trump's blessing.

By the end of the week, with the embers of Trump's fiery attack on Graham still simmering, Graham was back to singing the president's praises, commending him for elevating U.S. cyber command. The Seneca Republican is still banking on the president's imprimatur to build momentum for his health care proposal, one of the only remaining ideas for repealing and replacing Obamacare.

These Republican officeholders who criticize Trump one day and applaud him the next day, theyre all trying to find some political sweet spot for their own survival, said Barry Wynn, a former chairman of the S.C. Republican Party. "But thats going to be hard to do because it requires some level of predictability. And this president doesnt give them much of that.

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South Carolina Republicans grapple with Trump's turbulent response to Charlottesville - Charleston Post Courier

Republican strategists this week admitted that President Trump didn't have the best week on the divisive issue of race relations in America, but stopped short of saying Trump had done any permanent harm.

Trump faced criticism throughout the week for not immediately denouncing neo-Nazis and white supremacists after a violent rally in Charlottesville, Va. After condemning those groups, Trump then argued that there was violence on both sides of the protests, which led to more criticism that he was defending overtly racist groups.

Patrick Ruffini, a GOP strategist and co-founder of Echelon Insights, said Trump's exposed the divide on race that still exists in the U.S., and said it wasn't an optimal message for him to deliver from the office of the president. Ruffini said by that measure, Trump has fared worse than President Obama did on race.

"It does show how divided the electorate is on these issues, particularly along racial lines," Ruffini said. "That has not gotten better in the last couple of years, but I think certainly we've had these challenges with Ferguson and the Charleston shooting, where a lot of the same issues flared up, but at least at the time, the leadership of the country wasn't enflaming those tensions."

And though challenges with race relations aren't necessarily new, Ruffini said the president's response raises concerns.

"That is not a good role for the president to have," he said. "That somebody who is actively wading in on a wide, on a very contentious and divisive topic, when tragedies like this occur, normally there should be a unifying response from the White House, and we haven't seen that."

Also this week, Trump signaled his support for leaving Confederate-era monuments standing, after many elected officials renewed calls for them to come down in the wake of the events in Charlottesville.

"Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments," Trump tweeted Thursday. "You can't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!"

Support for leaving Confederate-era statues is high, according to a new NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll, which found 62 percent of adults believe they should remain.

But another GOP strategist, John Feehery, downplayed Trump's apparent missteps, the GOP has struggled with race issues in recent years.

"This is probably not a high point [for race relations]. But Trump was accused throughout the campaign of being a racist. There are some racists that support him, and he hasn't done an effective job at condemning them," Feehery told the Washington Examiner. "He kind of muffed the David Duke stuff, his less-than-impressive denouncement of them. But I don't think he's a racist."

Feehery noted that Trump's comments mark a low point for the president regarding race relations. But he said the Republican Party, too, has battled accusations of worsening race relations, though Feehery conceded that both parties have played identify politics in their own specific ways.

"We're better off trying to find understanding and have better communications among the groups instead of trying to call everyone a racist," he said. "I think if you're a Republican, you're used to this. There's no group that's more into identity politics than the Democrats. It's a party built on identity politics. They get their juice by calling someone anti-Semitic, anti-Islam. If you're a Republican, you've seen this played before."

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Republicans cheer Bannon exit but warn Trump still needs to change News & Observer Republicans exhaled on Friday after President Donald Trump ousted controversial strategist Steve Bannon from the White House a move that will help ease lawmakers' return to Washington after a damaging and polarizing period many blame in part on the ... Here are the Republican talking points on Steve Bannon and CharlottesvilleWashington Examiner all 2,387 news articles »

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A growing number of prominent Republicans are imploring President Donald Trump torepudiate his mixed messages in reaction to a violent white-supremacist rally, with one Senate Republican questioning his competence and calling for radical changes in his administration.

On Friday, Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate, issued a blistering statement warning that Trumps rhetoric may provoke an unraveling of our national fabric and called for him to apologize to the nation. James Murdoch, the chief executive of 21st Century Fox Inc. and son of conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch, pledged to make a $1 million donation to the Anti-Defamation League.

Were at a point where there needs to be radical changes take place at the White House itself. It has to happen,Senator Bob Corker told reporters in his home state of Tennessee. I think the president needs to take stock of the role that he plays in our nation and move beyond himself -- move way beyond himself -- and move to a place where daily hes waking up thinking about what is best for the nation.

Corkers remarks are some of the strongest Republican backlash to Trumps suggestions that both sides bear blame in the Charlottesville, Virginia incident last week. Several other Republicans have called on Trump to make a clearer denunciation of white-supremacist groups, but many GOP leaders have remained silent on the presidents remarks. Business leaders left the first CEO-presidents advisory panels, causing the president to abandon several.

"Whether he intended to or not, what he communicated caused racists to rejoice, minorities to weep, and the vast heart of America to mourn," Romney said in a Facebook post Friday morning. "He should address the American people, acknowledge that he was wrong, apologize."

Murdoch, in a letter obtained by the New York Times, wrote, I cant even believe I have to write this: standing up to Nazis is essential; there are no good Nazis. Or Klansmen, or terrorists. Democrats, Republicans, and others must all agree on this, and it compromises nothing for them to do so.

Another Senate Republican, Tim Scott of South Carolina, said Trump had compromised his moral authority with his response to the recent violence. Im not going to defend the indefensible, Scott, the only African-American Republican in the Senate, told Vice News. What we want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority. And that moral authority is compromised.

Former Vice President Al Gore, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2000, was askedin a video published by British media site LADbible if he could offer one piece of advice to Trump, what would it be? Resign, Gore responded.

Corkers criticisms are particularly notable because he has previously been a Trump ally and met with him before his inauguration to discuss the possibility of becoming secretary of state.

The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful, Corker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. And we need for him to be successful.

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

He also recently has not demonstrated that he understandsthe character of this nation. He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great, he added. Without the things that I just mentioned happening, our nation is going to go through great peril.

Earlier Thursday, Trump jumped back into the roiling controversy over hisremarks blaming both sides for the violence as he decried the foolish removal of Confederate monuments and attacked two other Republican senators who criticized him.

In a series of tweets Thursday, Trump said it was sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. He wrote that history cant be changed but you can learn from it and that the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced!

He also accused one Republican senator of a disgusting lie and plugged a primary opponent of another GOP critic.

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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, Trump said on Twitter. Such a disgusting lie. He just cant forget his election trouncing. The people of South Carolina will remember! He also called Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona toxic and a non-factor in the Senate.

Trumps defiant rebukes came as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to distance themselves from Trumps remarks blaming both sides in the violence by issuing statements condemning white supremacy.

Neither mentioned the president.

On Thursday, in response to Trumps attack, Graham said in a statement, Because of the manner in which you have handled the Charlottesville tragedy you are now receiving praise from some of the most racist and hate-filled individuals and groups in our country. For the sake of our nation -- as our president -- please fix this.

History is watching us all, he added.

Trump said at a combative news conference on Tuesday that both sides were to blame for the violence and that there were very fine people on both sides, including among the neo-Nazi and white-supremacist groups. He also accused what he called alt-left protesters of charging at the neo-Nazi groups with clubs.

The reluctance of GOP leaders to confront Trump directly is the latest sign they remain unwilling to challenge even the presidents most controversial remarks and comes despite growing concern among Republicans that their partys brand could suffer permanent damage from the backlash.

But Corkers public lashing of Trump suggests growing concern that his presidency could tarnish Republicans more broadly.

Corkers relationship with Trump goes back to the election, when the senator campaigned with the president and was said to have been vetted as a potential running mate. Corker also served as a member of the presidents national security advisory committee. He has continued to offer Trump advice on foreign policy.

This isnt the first time Corker has expressed frustration with the president and his administration. In May, after reports that Trump repeated classified information about the Islamic State during an Oval Office meeting with Russian officials, Corker said the White House was in a "downward spiral" and needed to "bring itself under control and order."

On Thursday, Corker also defended Flake following Trumps tweets criticizing him.

Senator Flake is one of the finest human beings Ive ever met, Corker said. The White House would be well-served to embrace the character, the substance of someone like Senator Flake. Hes one of the finest people I serve with.

With assistance by Justin Blum

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Trump Faces Rising Tide of Republican Dismay Over Charlottesville Response - Bloomberg

Republicans in Congress have tried to stick with President Trump in hopes that despite politically damaging outbursts from the White House, his pen would ultimately be able to sign their legislative agenda into law.

But in the aftermath of Trumps controversial response to the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Va., that promise seems ever more distant.

Congressional Republicans are now coming to grips with the reality that they are increasingly on their own, unable to rely on the president to helm their party, but without having powerful enough congressional leaders to bring bickering factions together.

That has dimmed prospects of passing big-ticket items such as tax reform, an infrastructure package or a new healthcare law.

At best, when lawmakers return to work next month, they hope to agree to keep the government funded past the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 and not provoke a financial crisis with a prolonged standoff over raising the limit on federal debt, which the government will hit sometime in early October.

"The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) told reporters Thursday after a meeting at the Chattanooga Rotary Club.

I do think there need to be some radical changes," Corker said. We need for him to be successful.

The latest Trump outbursts solidified the gloomy assessment from many Republicans.

It codified it: This administration has no hope of accomplishing any major policy goals, said longtime Republican strategist Rick Tyler, a former top advisor to Newt Gingrich and to Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential bid.

We dont have to wonder about it. Its like driving your car past empty the motors going to stop, and its not going to go forward anymore, Tyler said. These are the laws of physics, and legislations very much the same."

Trump has emerged less a partner to the Republican majority in Congress than an unpredictable bystander, welcoming lawmakers to lunch one day, bashing them on Twitter the next.

Several senators got the latest taste of that Thursday, when Trump swiftly turned on them after they critiqued his response to the neo-Nazi demonstrations in Charlottesville, Va.

Trump attacked both Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on Twitter Thursday morning assigning a derisive nickname, Flake Jeff Flake, to the Arizonan and praising one of the candidates lining up to run against him, Kelli Ward, a former state senator who last month predicted that John McCain, the states senior senator who is being treated for cancer, would die soon and said that she should be appointed to replace him.

The praise for Ward marked an extremely rare presidential intervention into a primary against an incumbent of his own party a move almost certain to increase tensions.

Grahams response was swift.

You are now receiving praise from some of the most racist and hate-filled individuals and groups in our country, Graham tweeted, referring to the congratulatory messages Trump received from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

For the sake of our Nation as our President please fix this. History is watching us all.

Rank-and-file Republicans, and other party leaders, are less likely to be as sharply critical. Many remain hopeful Trump or his legislative team members, who are close to Vice President Mike Pence can still help push parts of their agenda to passage.

But the payoff Republicans counted on when they backed Trump for president large-scale legislative victories with GOP control of the House, Senate and the White House has not happened.

Trump has blamed Congress. He said the collapse last month of Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act was the fault of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Senate Republicans. He lashed out several times at McCain for his no vote.

But Republican lawmakers and their staffs say the presidents own performance was lacking. Trumps shifting views on the legislation and his unwillingness or inability to convince lawmakers and the public to rally around a preferred option was as much, if not more, to blame, they say.

A similar dynamic is unfolding on a tax overhaul bill. Republicans in the House and Senate are struggling to draft legislation that can meet the demands of both conservative and centrist Republicans. Trump has said taxes are a top priority, but has made no effort so far to sell the public on a proposal.

On Wednesday, he was supposed to tout his infrastructure plans, but instead, blotted out any discussion of that topic by his defense of the marchers in Charlottesville, who, he said, included many very fine people.

On Thursday, the White House said that plans to form a White House advisory council on infrastructure were being shelved.

Presidents and congressional leaders always have some tensions. But the current rift is extreme. To make things harder for Republicans, McConnell and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) have not shown they are able to muscle through their priorities as effectively as the Democratic leaders, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, did during the opening period of the Obama administration.

Trumps 30% approval rating isnt helping either. It leaves the president without the political capital he needs to move Congress to action.

When the countrys on board, the Congress moves. Thats the way it works. Its not a mystery, said Tyler.

Despite their unhappiness, however, the Republican Congress is unlikely to take the sort of action against Trump that Democrats and outside groups on the left are demanding, such as a resolution to censure the president for his statements.

Theres an imperative right now in the country to make clear Trump is not speaking for the country when he defended Nazis and supremacists, said Jesse Ferguson, a former top aide to Democrat Hillary Clinton. The only way to do that is to have the co-equal branch of government say it.

But even with Trumps sagging approval nationwide, the president remains popular in many states and congressional districts that elected Republicans to Congress. Lawmakers remain reluctant to put themselves crosswise with voters many will need in next years midterm elections.

Moreover, Republicans in Congress know that for better or worse, their political fates are hitched to Trumps popularity, which stems in part from his disruptive and racially tinged tone. That hitch was fixed in place last year when GOP lawmakers rallied around Trump as their nominee for president.

Doug Heye, a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee and GOP leadership in Congress who opposed Trump for president, said that dynamic isnt likely to go away.

As long as Trump remains popular with their primary voters, he said, I dont see things changing.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

@LisaMascaro

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With Trump and Congress increasingly at odds, hopes for Republican legislative agenda fade - Los Angeles Times