President Donald Trump sparked controversy once again by praising Confederate general Robert E. Lee during a rally in Lebanon, Ohio on Oct. 12.
The rally, meant to boost Republican engagement ahead of the midterm elections in November, saw Trump applauding the general who led forces against the United States and saying that he confounded former president Abraham Lincoln.
"So Robert E. Lee was a great general and Abraham Lincoln developed a phobia, he couldn't beat Robert E. Lee," Trump told the crowd "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."
The praise was a bridge to eventually get to the story of Lincoln bringing in general Ulysses S. Grant to help end the Civil War. Grant was an Ohioan and Trump was attempting to build to a list of great people from the state. However, his praise of a treasonous general who fought to preserve the institution of slavery rankled many people who heard it.
About 35,000 Ohioans were killed in the Civil War, 30,000 wounded. Robert E. Lee was defeated by an Ohio-born Ulysses S. Grant.
And thank God he was. https://t.co/Pbtd8ig5fk
Robert E Lee was part of a faction that was willing to rip this nation apart to protect its own interests at the expense of other people & the Constitution. https://t.co/1OV96ytz79
Robert E. Lee was a traitor and a loser. Just like Donald J. Trump.
"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 on Twitter. "You can't change history, but you can learn from it," he wrote 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!"
Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You.....
...can'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!
