By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/in-3-tweets-trump-defends-beautiful-confederate-monuments Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter In 3 tweets, Trump defends ‘beautiful’ Confederate monuments Politics Aug 17, 2017 10:56 AM EDT President Donald Trump has faced mounting criticism over Tuesday’s combative news conference and his varied responses to the Charlottesville, Virginia, protests. He asked why the outcry over Confederate monuments in various U.S. cities didn’t extend to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, founding fathers who also owned slaves. “You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop?” the president asked. On Thursday, President Trump posted three tweets that continued that line of thinking: “Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments,” his tweet triptych began. 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 …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 After a white nationalist rally centered around a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville turned deadly, some officials across the country have renewed efforts to remove or relocate Confederate statues from public spaces. A 2016 Southern Poverty Law Center report documented more than 700 Confederate monuments and statues on public lands in the U.S. WATCH: Trump’s Charlottesville response not in line with majority of Americans, poll shows By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas is a senior editor for the PBS NewsHour's Communities Initiative. He also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. @Josh_Barrage
President Donald Trump has faced mounting criticism over Tuesday’s combative news conference and his varied responses to the Charlottesville, Virginia, protests. He asked why the outcry over Confederate monuments in various U.S. cities didn’t extend to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, founding fathers who also owned slaves. “You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop?” the president asked. On Thursday, President Trump posted three tweets that continued that line of thinking: “Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments,” his tweet triptych began. 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 …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 After a white nationalist rally centered around a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville turned deadly, some officials across the country have renewed efforts to remove or relocate Confederate statues from public spaces. A 2016 Southern Poverty Law Center report documented more than 700 Confederate monuments and statues on public lands in the U.S. WATCH: Trump’s Charlottesville response not in line with majority of Americans, poll shows