President Donald Trump spoke out against removing Confederate statutes Thursday morning — reinforcing divisive rhetoric he used in a widely-panned news conference on Tuesday.
In tweets, Trump argued the “history and culture of our great country” is “being ripped apart” by the removal of “beautiful” statutes. He referenced efforts to remove monuments to Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson because of their fighting against the United States for slave-owning states in the Civil War.
“Who’s next, Washington, Jefferson?” he asked. “So foolish!”
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.