Third charity cancels Mar-a-Lago event after Charlottesville

A third charity has pulled out of hosting an event at President Trump’s south Florida resort after his controversial remarks blaming “both sides” for the violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday. 

The American Friends of Magen David, which fundraises for Israel’s version of the Red Cross, announced on Thursday it would no longer be holding its 2018 gala at Mar-a-Lago. The event was the club’s biggest last season, bringing in 600 guests, according to The Chicago Tribune.

The charity has not yet stated a reason for pulling its event from Trump’s club, however the decision comes as the president garners criticism for appearing to defend white supremacist and neo-Nazi protesters after violence broke out in Charlottesville on Saturday, leaving one person dead and dozens injured. 

Trump said there were “very fine people” on both sides of the argument.

{mosads}

Two other notable charities have also pulled out of hosting events regularly held at the club in the wake of the controversy, including the American Cancer Society (ACS), which said the decision was “based on a variety of factors, including costs and venue requirements.”

“Our values and commitment to diversity are critical as we work to address the impact of cancer in every community,” the ACS said. “It has become increasingly clear that the challenge to those values is outweighing other business considerations.”

The Cleveland Clinic also announced it would be pulling its annual fundraising gala from the club after medical officials pressed the hospital system to cancel following the president’s goal of repealing and replacing ObamaCare. 

The president stirred controversy on Tuesday after he said “both sides” were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, where white supremacists clashed with counterprotesters.