Donald Trump defended Confederate statues and monuments on Thursday morning, as this president made it clear exactly where he stands on race in America.
Trump made a straight up play to his racist base by tweeting:
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
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…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
Trump is equating men who fought to destroy the United States of America, with the general who led the fight for colonial independence, and the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence. The President justified the violence in Charlottesville by making the same argument that the racists make about Confederate statues and monuments. These statues and monuments memorialize people who fought to keep African-Americans enslaved.
This isn’t about changing history. The debate is about whether slavery should be celebrated.
In case anyone had any doubt where Trump stands on the issue of race in America, the President planted himself firmly on the side of the racists and white supremacists.
Trump’s presidency is sinking fast, and as he goes down, this president has decided to cling to his racist base until the very end.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
