U.S. military leaders also condemned white supremacist groups Wednesday, with top generals of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff all issuing statements against racial hatred. The condemnations came after it emerged that the leader of the Vanguard America neo-Nazi hate group that rallied in Charlottesville—Dillon Ulysses Hopper—was a Marine Corps recruiter. The head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin, also spoke out Wednesday.

David Shulkin: “Well, I’m speaking out, and I’m giving my personal opinions as an American and as a Jewish American. And for me, in particular, I think, in learning history, that we know that staying silent on these issues is simply not acceptable. … I am not going to, in any way, condone the behavior or the beliefs of the Nazis or white supremacists. This is an affront to American ideals. This is an affront to civilization.”