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President Trump praised the Confederate general Robert E. Lee while asking African American voters to "honor us" by voting for him at an Ohio rally that featured an unexpected and provocative monologue on America's Civil War history.
Addressing an open-air rally of around 4,000 supporters, Trump appeared buoyant as he declared that Lee was a "true great fighter" and "great general." He also said Abraham Lincoln once had a "phobia" of the Southern leader, whose support of slavery has made his legacy a heavily contested and divisive issue.
"Robert E. Lee was winning battle after battle after battle. And Abraham Lincoln came home, he said, 'I can't beat Robert E. Lee,' " Trump said. "They said to Lincoln, 'You can't use [Grant] anymore, he's an alcoholic.' And Lincoln said, 'I don't care if he's an alcoholic, frankly, give me six or seven more just like him.' He started to win."
Minutes earlier, Trump had hailed African American unemployment numbers and asked black voters to "honor us" by voting Republican in November. "Get away from the Democrats," he told them. "Think of it: We have the best numbers in history. … I think we're going to get the African American vote, and it's true." He also celebrated hip-hop artist Kanye West's visit to the Oval Office on Thursday, adding: "What he did was pretty amazing."
Grant was not the only Ohio-native whom Trump deployed as a foil in his interventions on a series of sensitive cultural issues. He also referenced astronaut Neil Armstrong, telling crowds: "He's the man that planted the flag on the face of the moon. . . . There was no kneeling, there was no nothing, there was no games, boom" in a reference to NFL athletes kneeling in protest during the national anthem.
