Trump ‘OK’ with DC statue honoring Civil War leader who fought for slavery: ‘Lot of people in this room’ agree
Trump states support for erecting Robert E Lee statue
- Donald Trump stated he would have no problem with erecting a massive statue honoring Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general, near the Lincoln Memorial.
- These remarks were made during a fundraising dinner for a planned White House ballroom, attended by wealthy executives and donors.
- Trump also discussed plans for an Arc de Triomphe-style monument in Virginia and made historically inaccurate claims about a planned Lee statue on the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
- His administration has consistently moved to restore tributes to Lee, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordering a portrait of Lee back to a place of honor at the U.S. Military Academy.
- This restoration at West Point contradicts a Congressional commission's directive to remove items commemorating the Confederacy, with an Army spokesperson stating they honor history rather than erase it.