Trump now says he 'doesn't know' Proud Boys group

Just one day after President Donald Trump failed to condemn white supremacist groups and their role in violence in some American cities this summer, he brandished a different message Wednesday leaving the White House.

"Almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing," said Trump, whose exchange with Democrat Joe Biden Tuesday evening during the first presidential debate in Cleveland left the extremist group Proud Boys celebrating what some of its members saw as tacit approval.

"Proud Boys, stand back and stand by," Trump said.

"But I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem."

He was responding to a question from debate moderator Chris Wallace, who asked the president if he would condemn white supremacist and militia groups that have shown up at some protests.

Wallace specifically mentioned Kenosha, Wisconsin, where a white teenager was charged with killing two protesters during demonstrations over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.

Trump has repeatedly blamed "antifa," which stands for the anti-fascist movement.

"I'm willing to do anything. I want to see peace," Trump said. "What do you want to call them? Give me a name."

"Proud Boys," Democrat Joe Biden chimed in, referencing a far-right extremist group that has shown up at protests in the Pacific Northwest.

The male-only group of neo-fascists describes themselves as "western chauvinists," and they have been known to incite street violence.

Facing widespread criticism for his failure to condemn the group, Trump on Wednesday said, "I don't know who the Proud Boys are."

He added, "Whoever they are, they have to stand down. Let law enforcement do their work."

FBI Director Christopher Wray told a congressional panel last week that white supremacists and anti-government extremists have been responsible for most of the recent deadly attacks by extremist groups within the U.S.

Trump, a Republican, has tried to tie incidents of violence that have accompanied largely peaceful protests to Biden and the Democrats, running on a "law and order" message that warns people won't be safe under a Democratic president.

It's a message aimed squarely at white suburban voters, including women who voted for Trump in 2016 but may not do so again.

Proud Boys leaders and supporters later celebrated the president's words on social media.

A channel on Telegram, an instant messaging service, with more than 5,000 of the group's members posted "Stand Back" and "Stand By" above and below the group's logo.

While some Republicans feared that Trump's debate performance was too aggressive, he gave himself high marks before leaving Washington.

He had spent much of the morning assailing Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace on social media.

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