Donald Trump attempted to denounce the white supremacists, KKK members and neo-Nazis who bared their faces during rallies throughout the South, but still managed to pin part of the blame on those who are against hate speech and inequality, dubbing them the “alt-left.” Now, Trump is spewing even more words that lead one to believe he’s siding with those who wish to “make America great again” through violence and racism.
Following the removal of the statue of General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., Trump decided to condemn the subsequent withdrawals of other confederate statues, from Baltimore to Hollywood.
“Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments,” he began. “You can’t change history, but you can learn from it.”
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
…the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
In an interview with Newsweek, the great-great-grandson of Lee spoke out against people who try to use his kin as a symbol of hate. “There’s no place for that,” Robert E. Lee V said. “There’s no place for that hate.”
He said his grandfather didn’t stand for the beliefs of white supremacists, and that maybe the removed confederate statues should be placed in museums.
“General Lee’s life was about duty, honor and country,” Lee wrote in a statement. “At the end of the Civil War, he implored the nation to come together to heal our wounds and to move forward to become a more unified nation. He never would have tolerated the hateful words and violent actions of white supremacists, the KKK or neo-Nazis.”
