Trump sides with white nationalists and praises ‘beautiful’ Confederate statues
President Donald Trump followed up his early morning tweet storm on Thursday by lamenting that Confederate statues are being taken down all across the U.S. and saying it’s “sad.”
“Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments,” wrote the president, who has come under the heaviest fire of his administration in recent days over his gross mishandling of the response to the violence in Charlottesville, VA.
He followed up by saying, “You can’t change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson – who’s next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!”
And then, “Also the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced!”
Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
…can't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson – who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! Also…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
Reality
- Aug 12: Unite the Right Rally held by neo-Nazis to defend Confederate statues. No comment by Trump.
- Aug 13: No comment by Trump.
- Aug 14: Trump denounces KKK in a written prepared speech.
- Aug 15: Trump backtracks and calls KKK and neo-Nazis “very fine people.”
- Aug 17: Trump sides with KKK and neo-Nazis in defense of Confederate statues.