The horrific events that took place in Charlottesville this past Saturday shocked, sickened and saddened most Americans. The hate-filled venom and violent actions by the collection of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, KKK members and the so-called “antifascists” who showed up armed and armored to “counter-protest” showed us all that there is still evil lurking in the shadows. And sometimes it comes out.

However, much of the national news coverage over the weekend wasn’t focused on the events that actually occurred in Virginia but was instead dedicated to eviscerating President Donald Trump for not calling out, by name, the groups responsible for much of the violence.

From CNN to The New York Times, the focus became that because Trump condemned all hateful groups in his initial statement on Saturday he was somehow tacitly approving the actions of white supremacists.

How utterly absurd.

Sadly, the media’s over-the-top displays of righteous indignation against Trump and the Republican Party have become commonplace. Talk about the boy who cried wolf.

Democrats and their Leftmedia operatives have a long history of labeling Republicans as racist, condoning violence against people of color or supporting right-wing extremism. As Mark Alexander so powerfully wrote yesterday, “The Beltway echo chambers [took the] opportunity to portray such hatred as ‘mainstream’ rather than minuscule fringe elements of our society — because such hyperbolic reporting sells advertising.”

For many years, it has been fashionable among the Left to attack the modern GOP as a body of elites who support right-wing extremism (i.e. racist policies). Back in 1964, a CBS reporter alleged that Barry Goldwater’s post-convention trip to Germany was to “coordinate with ‘right-wing Germans.’” The following year, conservative giant William F. Buckley, who was running for mayor of New York, adroitly defended his campaign from baseless charges of racism levied by his opponent John Lindsey: “There is no place for racism in New York City and there is nothing that I have said or ever will say that will give any kind of help or encouragement to racism.”

Space does not allow for the countless other examples from then to now, but suffice it to say that Democrats and the Leftmedia have engaged in stoking false charges of racism against conservative candidates and causes for decades.

Sadly, the record of the Grand Old Party, arguably the first human rights party in the history of the United States, has been so distorted by its opponents that many forget how numerous Republican leaders and presidents have spoken out against racism and backed up their words with actions.

From the founding of the party, it was Republicans who were the 19th century abolitionists. It was Republicans who opposed Jim Crow and led the charge to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

When Ronald Reagan addressed the NAACP in 1981, he thoroughly rebuked hate groups: “You are the ones who are out of step with our society. You are the ones who willfully violate the meaning of the dream that is America. And this country, because of what it stands for, will not stand for your conduct. My administration will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who, by violence or intimidation, would attempt to deny Americans their constitutional rights.”

When Bob Dole accepted the Republican nomination in 1996, he said, “The Republican Party is broad and inclusive. It represents many streams of opinion and many points of view. But if there’s anyone who has mistakenly attached themselves to our party in the belief that we are not open to citizens of every race and religion, then let me remind you, tonight this hall belongs to the Party of Lincoln. And the exits which are clearly marked are for you to walk out of as I stand this ground without compromise.”

From Dwight Eisenhower’s decision to desegregate the schools in Little Rock to Ronald Reagan signing legislation to make Martin Luther King Jr.‘s birthday a national holiday to George W. Bush’s signing into law the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, Republican legislators and administrations have made significant contributions toward addressing issues of race in this country.

That’s why the false narrative against Trump and the Republican Party this past weekend is just that — a false narrative. Republicans must continue to show that they belong to the party of equality and fight any attempts to tarnish the GOP brand. Only by actively telling their story will it be heard.