GOP Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin said he is supportive of the call to remove Confederate statues, but added that he doesn’t believe they should be forcefully taken down by “mob rule.”
The push to remove Confederate monuments has come to national attention in recent weeks in the wake of the violent outbreak at a protest in Charlottesville, Va., organized by white supremacists. Duffy said he doesn’t support paying homage to those who fought to maintain slavery.
“I look at those Southern leaders — that rebellion cost hundreds of thousands of American lives in the Civil War,” he told the Wausau Daily Herald. “They were fighting to keep people enslaved. I don’t honor what they were fighting for.”
Duffy suggested the statues could be moved “to museums or to other parks,” arguing it’s a decision that should be left up to local communities and the states.
The congressman’s comments come as a rare split from President Donald Trump’s stance, as Duffy has largely stood by the president on the majority of issues.
Trump has repeatedly taken to social media to defend keeping the statues in place.
“Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments,” Trump tweeted. “You can’t change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson – who’s next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!”
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