Trump calls Robert E. Lee a 'great general' while defending his Charlottesville response as Biden seeks to make white supremacists a campaign issue
President Donald Trump on Friday called Robert E. Lee a"great general" as he defended his comments about a deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, one day after former Vice President Joe Biden launched his presidential campaign by citing Trump's response to the events.
"Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals. I have spoken to many generals here, right at the White House, and many people thought — of the generals, they think that he was maybe their favorite general," Trump said of the Confederate military leader. Trump's comments Friday all but ensured that the former vice president will continue to attack him over Charlottesville and link him to some of the most extreme elements of the far right – which could put Trump on the defensive in the 2020 race much earlier than he had anticipated.
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