EXPOSED: General John Kelly Praises ‘Men and Women of Good Faith on Both Sides’ of the Civil War
Supposed ‘Moderate’ General Voices Same White Supremacist Views as His Boss Donald Trump
Trump White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly offered strong praise Monday night for the traitors who fought for slavery in the Civil War against the United States of America. Kelly’s remarks stunned many who had believed he was a moderate who would be the voice of reason to the president’s racist, white supremacist, and other extremist beliefs.
They were wrong.
Kelly called Confederate General Robert E. Lee “an honorable man,” while blaming the Civil War not on the refusal of Southern states to free the slaves, but on “the lack of an ability to compromise.†He made his remarks on the premiere of far right wing conservative pundit Laura Ingraham’s new Fox News 10 PM show.
“I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man,†Kelly said on “The Ingraham Angle,” while, just like his boss did after Charlottesville, praised people “on both sides” of the war against slavery.
Chief of Staff John Kelly praises Robert E Lee as “honorable man,” says “lack of an ability to compromise led to the civil war,” not slavery pic.twitter.com/GSuVRrGKlQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 31, 2017
“He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it’s different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand.â€
In Kelly’s mind, it doesn’t matter that their consciences were dead wrong. That’s a problem.
Here’s how CNN’s Keith Boykin responded:
If I say slavery is bad,
and you say it’s good,
let’s compromise,
and you be a slave. https://t.co/0XvgIyQ3Iz— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 31, 2017
If there was ever any doubt, we now know John Kelly is fully on board with the white supremacist Trump agenda. https://t.co/pPUTflM8Bw
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 31, 2017
Kelly also said “we make a mistake…when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong” and apply it to the past.
The renowned Ta-Nehisi Coates took to Twitter to respond in a lengthy thread that is worth reading in full. A few excerpts:
I mean, like, it’s called The three fifths compromise for a reason. But it doesn’t stand alone. Missouri Compromise. Kansas-Nebraska Act.
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) October 31, 2017
Notion that we are putting today’s standards on the past is, in itself, racist–implies only white, slave-holding, opinions matter.
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) October 31, 2017
Majority of people living in Mississippi in 1860 were black. They knew, in their own time, that enslavement was wrong.
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) October 31, 2017
Lee didn’t prosecute the war with no regard for White supremacy, his army that kidnapped free blacks and sold them into slavery. pic.twitter.com/avoCZoRZRr
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) October 31, 2017
Been a lot of hemming and hawing over the term “white supremacist.” Fools who won’t be satisfied until Trump literally lynches someone.
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) October 31, 2017
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