White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany turned a Wednesday press conference question about renaming military bases named after Confederate generals into a criticism of cancel culture.
Citing their place in American history and military tradition, President Donald Trump stated unequivocally Wednesday that he “will not even consider” renaming Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Benning, and several other bases named after Confederate generals.
When Fox News White House correspondent John Roberts brought up General David Petraeus’ editorial in favor of renaming the bases during Wednesday’s press conference, McEnany wondered if the same standard would apply to other areas, including the Biden Welcome Center.
“Fort Bragg is known for the heroes within it, that train there, that deployed from there, and it’s an insult to say to the men and women who left there, the last thing they saw on American soil before going overseas, and in some cases losing their lives, to tell them that what they left was inherently a racist institution because of a name,” McEnany responded. “That’s unacceptable to the president. And rightfully so.”
“And I would also note, where do you draw the line here?” she asked before offering a few suggestions.
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McEnany brought up the movie “Gone With The Wind,” no longer available on HBO, and asked if George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison should be “erased from history” because of their views.
“What about FDR, because of internment camps?” she asked. “Should he be erased from history, or Lyndon Johnson, who has a history of documented racist statements.” (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Responds To The ‘Mob’: Racism Accusations Are ‘A Way To Control Disobedience’)
Then, the White House press secretary took aim at Biden:
“Finally, what about people that are alleged by the media to be segregationists?” said McEnany. “NBC tells us Joe Biden didn’t just compromise with segregationists, he fought for their causes in schools, experts say. CNN tells us letters from Joe Biden reveal how he sought support of segregationists in the fight against busing. Washington Post tells us that Biden’s tough talk on 1970 schools’ desegregation plans could get him new scrutiny. And there are several more where that came from. So I’ll leave you with a question. Should we then rename the Biden Welcome Center?”