White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany ripped Politico reporter Ryan Lizza Monday, after Lizza asked if President Donald Trump was happy with the outcome of the Civil War.
“Does President Trump believe that it was a good thing that the south lost the Civil War?” Lizza asked during a White House press briefing. (RELATED: ‘Shocks And Pisses Me Off’: Obama Reportedly Slams Trump Calling Coronavirus ‘China Virus’)
McEnany responded by calling Lizza’s question “absolutely absurd,” saying the president was proud of the U.S.
“Your first question is absolutely absurd,” McEnany said. “He’s proud of the United States of America.”
Lizza also asked if the president would ban Confederate flags from his campaign rallies, citing NASCAR’s recent decision to ban the flag from its events. McEnany said that was a question for the campaign, but reiterated the administration’s opposition to tearing down statues of historical figures. (RELATED: Wisconsin Students Call For Abraham Lincoln Statue To Come Down: He Was ‘Anti-Black’)
“Americans oppose tearing down our statues,” McEnany added, citing recent polling. “[The president] stands on the side of preserving our history.”
WATCH:
The president has pushed back against calls to remove honors for confederate figures, announcing his opposition earlier in June to a proposal that would rename 10 American military bases named after Confederate generals.
“It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” Trump tweeted at the time.
A recent poll conducted by ABC-Ipsos found that 56% of Americans oppose renaming the bases, while 42% support renaming the bases.