Trump says he doesn’t know who Proud Boys are, calls on group to ‘stand down’

President Trump on Wednesday said he doesn’t know who the Proud Boys are and called on them to “stand down” after he said during the first presidential debate that the racist group should “stand by” during political unrest.

“I don’t know who the Proud Boys are,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn as he departed for a campaign trip to Minnesota, after his Tuesday night remark earned widespread condemnation.

“I really don’t know what they are. I can only say they have to stand down, let law enforcement do their work,” Trump said.

“But again, I don’t know who ‘Proud Boys’ are but whoever they are, they have to stand down, let law enforcement do their work.”

The Proud Boys group was founded in 2016 by Vice magazine co-founder Gavin McInnes and is known for physically confronting leftist protesters, including last year during a July 4 flag-burning outside the White House.

At the debate in Cleveland, Trump told the group to “stand back and stand by” after the moderator, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, asked him to condemn white supremacists and militia groups following deadly clashes and rioting in Kenosha, Wis., and Portland, Ore.

“Proud Boys need to stand back and stand by, but I’ll tell you what, somebody has got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem, this is a left-wing problem,” Trump said at the debate.

On the White House lawn, Trump told reporters he’s “always denounced” racism, but that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden must denounce political violence from Antifa activists known for clashing with Proud Boys members.

“I’ve always denounced any form — any form, any form — of any of that, you have to denounce,” Trump said. “But also, Joe Biden has to say something about Antifa. It’s not a philosophy. These are people that hit people over the heads with baseball bats. He’s got to come out and he’s got to be strong, and he’s got to condemn Antifa. And it’s very important that he does it.”

In response to a reporter who asked Trump if he disapproved of “right-wing militias that are armed,” the president said, “Yeah, it does concern me. And crime generally concerns me, any form of crime. And let law enforcement take care of it.”

Democrats pounced on Trump’s apparent refusal to condemn the Proud Boys from the debate stage, while the group itself celebrated.