Virginia Gov. McAuliffe: Trump's Charlottesville Speeches 'Are Dividing People'

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe says President Trump needs to ditch the divisive messages about Charlottesville before visiting the city.

In his first national interview since violence broke out in Charlotteville Saturday, McAuliffe told "CBS This Morning" Trump's response was "not leadership."

"When I talked to him, he called me right before he gave his press conferences, and I told him, 'Mr. President, it's hatred, it's bigotry, it's racism, and it needs to stop in this country. Let us work together for reconciliation, let us go forward to bring our nation back to together again,'" McAuliffe told "CBS This Morning." "He agreed with me on the phone call, but I don't understand the statements he made."

He added that the remarks "are dividing people; we cannot be dividing people." (Subscribe to a Virginia Patch News Alert and Newsletter. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

In his first speech following the violent clashes between white nationalists and counter-protesters, Trump condemned the violence but initially blamed "many sides" for the violence in Charlottesville . The speech did not specifically denounce the white supremacist demonstrators. A few days later, he denounced the white supremacists amidst criticism for the delayed response. He circled back to partially blame counter-protesters a day later.

Three people were killed in events relating to Charlottesville, including Heather Heyer, a counter-protester who was killed when a driver reported to have Nazi sympathies mowed down dozens of people in the street. Nineteen others were injured in that attack.

McAuliffe told "CBS This Morning" he is calling upon localities and the General Assembly to remove Confederate statues. But he says that the issue goes beyond removing the statues. "There was hatred, there was bigotry that has been unleashed in this country, and we need to understand how it's happened and most importantly what we can do to move forward," he said.

SEE ALSO: Monument Avenue Confederate Statues In Richmond Under New Scrutiny

On Monday, McAuliffe held an emergency Cabinet meeting to take statewide actions to combat hate and bolster public safety. Some of the steps the state is taking include an investigation on how communities issue rally permits and how well law enforcement is prepared for such rallies, as well as forming a commission to make policy recommendations.

Watch the full interview on CBS This Morning.

Pictured is Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe addressing a news conference concerning the white nationalist rally and violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, Saturday, Aug. 12. Image by Steve Helber/Associated Press