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Trump Claimed Robert E. Lee, Who Lost The Civil War, Definitely Would Have Won Afghanistan, And People Lost It

On Wednesday, a 130-year-old bronzeu statue of General Robert E. Lee was hoisted off its pedestal in downtown Richmond, Virginia, once the capital of the Confederacy. To some, it was an emotional moment. To others, it was an outrage. Conservatives continue to valorize the military leader, who fought to keep the United States divided. One of them was former president Donald J. Trump, who a century and a half later did much the same thing.

In one of his trademark press releases that have replaced his since banned tweets, Trump fired off a lengthy screed meant to stoke the ire of his base. He claimed that he’s considered “the greatest strategist of them all.” He even went so far as to say he “would have won the war,” had it not been for the Battle of Gettysburg, seeming to suggest that that would have been a good thing.

“Our culture is being destroyed and our history and heritage, both good and bad, are being extinguished by the Radical Left, and we can’t let that happen!” the statement read. “If only we had Robert E. Lee to command our troops in Afghanistan, that disaster would have ended in a complete and total victory many years ago. What an embarrassment we are suffering because we don’t have the genius of a Robert E. Lee!”

There were a lot of ahistorical chestnuts liberally sprinkled throughout, but perhaps the strangest thing was the part where he downplayed Lee, that peerless strategist, losing the Civil War.

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Quite apart from him lionizing someone who tried to destroy the United States of America.

Then again, perhaps Trump identifies someone who lost in Pennsylvania.

Maybe he just loves losers.

And so, apparently, does the political party that continues to embrace him.

But one thing was for sure: If Trump was against removing the statue of Robert E. Lee, it must have been the right thing to do.