Trump praises Robert E. Lee during Ohio rally President Donald Trump praised Confederate General Robert E. Lee at a rally in Ohio Friday night during a soliloquy in which he also praised a number of Ohioans, including Union General Ulysses S. Grant. "So Robert E. Lee was a great general and Abraham Lincoln developed a phobia, he couldn't beat Robert E. Lee," Trump told supporters at a rally in Lebanon, Ohio, the latest place he's visited to boost GOP candidates before the midterm elections. "He was going crazy ... but Robert E. Lee was winning battle after battle after battle and Abraham Lincoln came home and he said 'I can't beat Robert E. Lee." Trump added that the frustrated Lincoln was forced to turn to Grant to finally deliver a victory for the Union and to end the Civil War. While his praise of Lee, who was not from Ohio, came in his build-up of Grant, who was, Civil War history has been fraught territory for Trump and key members of his administration, particularly in a time when many of the monuments of Lee and other Southern generals are being targeted for removal. White House chief of staff John Kelly called Lee an "honorable man" in October 2017 and added that the war was caused by a "lack of compromise." Trump has previously defended the existence of statues for figures like Lee, saying that imposing modern morals on historical figures is a slippery slope that will devour many esteemed leaders in the process. "Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments," he wrote in a series of tweets in August 2017, just days after violent protests in Charlottesville erupted following a rally that was organized in part to protest the removal of a statue of Lee. "[C]an't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson - who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! 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! Addressing another of Ohio's native sons, Trump said President William McKinley "has not been properly recognized." He also praised Astronaut Neil Armstrong and the Wright Brothers, and while not mentioning him by name, called Ohio State Football coach Urban Meyer a "great" man. ----- This is not even a Dog Whistle any more Giving comfort and praise to the enemies of America Rocket River BY THE WAY . . I do Believe Lee was truly the loser and Lincoln the Winner
This lie has been going around the left media. They assume their readers are too lazy to actually read what he said and they are right. Shameful
Ler was a great general. Lincoln asked him to lead the North. He and his wife were southerners though
I like how we all pretend it's controversial to say Lee was a great general, in service of a weak and transparent attempt to paint Trump as racist and pro-slavery. So was Genghis Kahn, so was Rommell, so was Hannibal
Okay. So it's okay to say that Hitler was competent. He amassed power in a impressive manner. But what about calling him "honorable" or having a statue of him to praise him?
The historical debate around Lee rages on - would hanging have been too good for him? These are the questions that divide our nation
Everyone needs to let it go. Different times. We are past it Southerners wanna love Lee i dont give a crap Has no bearing on my life
Not surprised that Trump would celebrate people who fought for slavery. And not surprised the right wingers defend their precious slave state culture. True colors are showing. Next thing you know they will tell all the darkies to shut up and eat watermelon.
I like how we all pretend context doesn't exist. It's the same President that lied about knowing who David Duke is, the same guy who has an anti-immigrant agenda, the same guy who called Mexicans drug dealers and rapists, the same guy who is the champion of white nationalism, and the same guy who said Nazis were fine people. Trump is a bigot and a piece of **** human being. Him praising a traitor like Lee is just another log on the fre.
The big question I have is why are Trump fans still trying to put up a fight over defending this by saying he said something else or trying creating alternate universes of reality. Trump is obviously entertaining the slave state culture for political insurance with racist America, and folks here defending it obviously agree with the ideology of the slave state culture. There’s just no other way of looking at this pattern of political pandering....BE HONEST. You have no reason to lie anymore Trumpers.
