President Donald Trump took to Twitter Thursday morning to express disappointment in the removal of Civil War monuments and statues in American cities.
The President tweeted:
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
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's bronze statue in Charlottesville was at the center of violent clashes last weekend between white supremacists -- who converged on a park once bearing Lee's name to oppose a plan to remove the statue -- and counterprotesters.
The Charlottesville City Council had earlier voted to rechristen two parks named for Confederate generals and remove Lee's statue from the park once known as Lee Park. A few months ago, the park was renamed Emancipation Park. The statue's removal is on hold pending litigation.
READ MORE: Lee's great-great grandson OK with Confederate statues coming down