Politics

CNN Commentator: George Washington And Thomas Jefferson Statues ‘Need To Come Down’

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Two days after President Trump questioned whether tearing down Confederate statues would lead leftists to targeting statues and monuments to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers, CNN commentator Angela Rye did exactly that.

“We have to get to the heart of the problem here and the heart is the way many of us were taught American history. American history is not all glorious,” Rye said in a heated segment on Thursday.

“George Washington was a slave owner. We need to call them out for what they are, whether we think they were protecting American freedom or not. He wasn’t protecting my freedoms. My ancestors weren’t deemed human beings to him. And so to me, I don’t care if it’s a George Washington statue or a Thomas Jefferson statue, they all need to come down,” she added.

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Rye’s comments, which were first pointed out by the Washington Free Beacon on Thursday, come amidst heated national debate on whether to tear down Confederate monuments and statues around the country.

President Trump weighed in on the debate on Thursday.

“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!” (RELATED: Trump Comes Out In Defense Of Confederate Statues)