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Polybius

(21,881 posts) Fri Oct 12, 2018, 10:55 PM Oct 2018

Trump: 'Robert E. Lee was a great general' [View all]

Source: The Hill

President Trump praised Confederate Geader Robert E. Lee as "a great general" on Friday during a campaign rally in Lebanon, Ohio.

"So Robert E. Lee was a great general. And Abraham Lincoln developed a phobia. He couldn’t beat Robert E. Lee," Trump said before launching into a monologue about Lee, Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.

"He was going crazy. I don’t know if you know this story. But 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.

"And he had all of his generals, they looked great, they were the top of their class at West Point. They were the greatest people. There’s only one problem — they didn’t know how the hell to win. They didn’t know how to fight. They didn’t know how," he continued.

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/411237-trump-robert-e-lee-was-a-great-general

144 replies

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Trump: 'Robert E. Lee was a great general' [View all] Polybius Oct 2018 OP

Didn't Lee surrender to Grant? The Velveteen Ocelot Oct 2018 #1

Guess he's going to Georgia next to praise General Sherman. Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Oct 2018 #11

Quick, get Hillary to tell him it's politically incorrect. Girard442 Oct 2018 #18

That should fire them up TEB Oct 2018 #132

Cheeto Benito isn't trying to impress Ohioans who are proud of U.S. Grant Cirque du So-What Oct 2018 #15

Did you watch the video? oberliner Oct 2018 #28

This message was self-deleted by its author thucythucy Oct 2018 #33

I won't watch the video, just had breakfast and I intend to keep it down groundloop Oct 2018 #76

Fair enough oberliner Oct 2018 #93

True atreides1 Oct 2018 #129

he was the only commander to surrender twice joe_stampingbull Oct 2018 #69

Do not get angry at his comment Perseus Oct 2018 #70

Americans in general should be proud of Grant, who despite much malignity, was not only... NNadir Oct 2018 #81

Thank you Marthe48 Oct 2018 #83

My pleasure. I love to extol the wonderful legacy of PRESIDENT Grant. NNadir Oct 2018 #87

I always admired Grant, but my admiration increased exponentially when I read 'Grant' by Ron Chernow Aristus Oct 2018 #90

I agree. I think that Grant simply had a low tolerance for alcohol, but in no way... NNadir Oct 2018 #94

White People Love Grant. Whatever! AllTooEasy Oct 2018 #109

Really? NNadir Oct 2018 #112

when i visited manhattan. i think his tomb was the 1st thing i went to see. pansypoo53219 Oct 2018 #113

There's a biography of him that I want to read - The Velveteen Ocelot Oct 2018 #135

You're probably referring to the Chernow book. There are several other major biographies that... NNadir Oct 2018 #136

I think that's the one. I'll be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it. The Velveteen Ocelot Oct 2018 #137

It is disturbing he got cheers JonLP24 Oct 2018 #121

What an idiot. gtar100 Oct 2018 #2

Guess he's bucking for NRA President. They had Confederate loving Prez a few years ago from Alabama. Hoyt Oct 2018 #3

I answered an almost identical post a few minutes ago... TreasonousBastard Oct 2018 #4

One word Gettysburg wasupaloopa Oct 2018 #5

Lee lost. Trump doesn't like losers. Skruffy Oct 2018 #6

Lee lost, Grant won. The Velveteen Ocelot Oct 2018 #8

Brain fart, sorry. I meant... Skruffy Oct 2018 #9

Trump is a moran Ligyron Oct 2018 #7

A great tactician, who broke his oath as a U.S. Army officer. TomSlick Oct 2018 #13

Lee was a very good General Lithos Oct 2018 #20

Lee was also a racist that supported a traitorous cause. kwassa Oct 2018 #31

The majority of people were racist in the 19th Century Lithos Oct 2018 #34

Those stories about Lee being an enlightened slaveowner aren't true. yardwork Oct 2018 #54

I grew up in the South and went to public school there. The myth of the benevolent Lee is just that: Aristus Oct 2018 #99

I grew up in the South as well - still live here Lithos Oct 2018 #119

Who honor him as a hero JonLP24 Oct 2018 #123

Still a traitor though, along with the rest of the confederates. brush Oct 2018 #142

Good post, good points. K&R. brush Oct 2018 #141

There were the radical Republicans who wanted to go further than Lincoln JonLP24 Oct 2018 #122

No but the discussion is about his generalship. Kaleva Oct 2018 #108

Sorry. Montgomery may have been over-cautious, but he never took up arms against his country TomSlick Oct 2018 #32

The idea of Nationalism was cemented in the Civil War Lithos Oct 2018 #36

Yes,in Southwestern Ohio True Blue American Oct 2018 #49

Precisely Sherman A1 Oct 2018 #56

He was a terrible general. Scruffy1 Oct 2018 #64

THANK YOU The Mouth Oct 2018 #68

Excellent. This admiration of Lee was created during a previous rise of white supremacy. yardwork Oct 2018 #130

The Worst President EVER!!!! Grassy Knoll Oct 2018 #10

I like Generals who don't lose. SunSeeker Oct 2018 #12

I Like Presidents Who Didn't Get Investigated For That Russer Thing Grassy Knoll Oct 2018 #16

I like Presidents who don't fellate dictators. nt SunSeeker Oct 2018 #22

Lol... Grassy Knoll Oct 2018 #26

Gotta love the "uneducated". Kajun Gal Oct 2018 #14

Grant and Sherman were both born in Ohio TheRealNorth Oct 2018 #17

Might I suggest the phrase Lithos Oct 2018 #21

Did you watch the video? oberliner Oct 2018 #29

I watched the video twice True Blue American Oct 2018 #53

He definitely is ignorant oberliner Oct 2018 #59

But he went on and on True Blue American Oct 2018 #60

Good point oberliner Oct 2018 #62

Playing to transplanted Southerners True Blue American Oct 2018 #61

I was once called Judgmental by calling Trump a racist. djacq Oct 2018 #19

George Pickett disagrees. RockRaven Oct 2018 #23

Thank God you republicans won that war... You really whipped those Southerners. keithbvadu2 Oct 2018 #24

Do they teach SS in school these days? mobeau69 Oct 2018 #55

The KKK was huge in Ohio in the early 20th century. world wide wally Oct 2018 #25

Civil War History with Professor Fuck Blue Owl Oct 2018 #27

Did anyone who commented on this actually watch the video? oberliner Oct 2018 #30

Ofcourse not AllTooEasy Oct 2018 #110

Yes I saw the whole thing JonLP24 Oct 2018 #124

Miles Kahn makes the point better than I can oberliner Oct 2018 #127

He said he was a great general JonLP24 Oct 2018 #128

This is the guy having a love affair with Kim Jong Un (wonder how Melania feels about that?) !! George II Oct 2018 #35

Lee was a great General elmac Oct 2018 #37

Lincoln did ask Lee to lead the Union army Wyatt513 Oct 2018 #38

Nah, not so great. See post #64. And he was a traitor and racist. brush Oct 2018 #73

being a great general doesn't mean your a grear person elmac Oct 2018 #95

True. Still not a great general though...Post #64. brush Oct 2018 #97

People who argue Pickett's Charge was a mistake don't offer other options where Lee could have won Kaleva Oct 2018 #116

I like your take. Good analysis. brush Oct 2018 #118

IMHO, Lee should never have been in Pennsylvania in the first place. Kaleva Oct 2018 #139

How About This Option ProfessorGAC Oct 2018 #133

Tha't very close to what I said. Kaleva Oct 2018 #138

Not surprising.. LW1977 Oct 2018 #39

HE WAS A TRAITOR, PERIOD. brush Oct 2018 #40

No, make that a comma and add safeinOhio Oct 2018 #47

Right. I stand corrected. brush Oct 2018 #72

right you are! joe_stampingbull Oct 2018 #71

Lee was a treasonous traitor , duforsure Oct 2018 #41

Who gives a shit? BlueStater Oct 2018 #42

Germans, don't give him a chance to go over there. raccoon Oct 2018 #45

Reagan paid homage to Nazi SS soldiers. keithbvadu2 Oct 2018 #115

Have you ever seen the movie The Desert Fox? oberliner Oct 2018 #107

KKK in the Oval Office. LudwigPastorius Oct 2018 #43

Playing to his base, clearly. And maybe trying to piss off liberals. NT raccoon Oct 2018 #44

I only like generals that win a Civil War . . . . . . no_hypocrisy Oct 2018 #46

Hitler praise coming in 5-4-3-2-1 sellitman Oct 2018 #48

This is what I was taught in school (Ohio, 1990's) Bradical79 Oct 2018 #50

In a former Union State? no_hypocrisy Oct 2018 #51

Yup. Bradical79 Oct 2018 #67

Where in Ohio did you learn that? True Blue American Oct 2018 #63

A subburb of Columbus Bradical79 Oct 2018 #66

I live in a suburb north of Dayton True Blue American Oct 2018 #88

So that means that the GOP is no longer "the party of Lincoln"? BumRushDaShow Oct 2018 #52

Yes, Lee was a good general but he did lose the war and if McClellan had followed Lee after ..... Botany Oct 2018 #57

I didn't know Sheridan was from Ohio too. Don't know much about his Civil War... brush Oct 2018 #75

He grew up in Somerset, OH Botany Oct 2018 #82

Have to check that one out.;( True Blue American Oct 2018 #91

I 71 north bound about a few miles after you cross the Miami River valley ..... Botany Oct 2018 #92

Honestly I am in Lebanon quite often True Blue American Oct 2018 #96

Just an aside d_r Oct 2018 #58

I wonder if Trump would change his mind if someone told him that Lee, having Baitball Blogger Oct 2018 #65

I'd like to point out, as a sidebar, that Rump went down to Floribama to campaign for pedo Moore, Mc Mike Oct 2018 #74

Not to worry............. MyOwnPeace Oct 2018 #77

Trump is an idiot. Lee lost most of the battles he commanded Major Nikon Oct 2018 #78

Yeah, I was kind of True Blue American Oct 2018 #98

What the hell is he talking about? Polly Hennessey Oct 2018 #79

I call BS modrepub Oct 2018 #80

A very nice discussion of one of the most discussed campaigns in the Civil War. NNadir Oct 2018 #84

If I can add: the entire Eastern theater is overglamorized, overanalyzed, and overrated Recursion Oct 2018 #85

Excellent point. n/t. NNadir Oct 2018 #89

This message was self-deleted by its author lapfog_1 Oct 2018 #106

This message was self-deleted by its author geralmar Oct 2018 #120

Burns fell under Shelby Foote's spell Recursion Oct 2018 #126

Here's An Observation modrepub Oct 2018 #131

I might add a slightly different view of that Recursion Oct 2018 #134

Colonel Chamberlin gladium et scutum Oct 2018 #117

Right. And Donald J. Trump was a great president. SKKY Oct 2018 #86

So now Abe Lincoln was a "loser" according to the Orange Fuhrer. Vinca Oct 2018 #100

Official republican position - Lincoln was our nation's greatest leader keithbvadu2 Oct 2018 #114

One word, Cheetolini: Appamatox. muntrv Oct 2018 #101

I love to hear what Newt Gingrich thinks of rump's remarks. He's written a book (maybe ... SWBTATTReg Oct 2018 #102

He was a great general. tazkcmo Oct 2018 #103

Lots of Southern soldiers were drafted. They may not have believed in raccoon Oct 2018 #104

someone should edit some Fox News video & figure out how to feed it to his TV... yurbud Oct 2018 #105

So Was Benedict Arnold, But They Were Both Traitors louis c Oct 2018 #111

Robert E. Lee descandents distance themselves from WS more than Trump JonLP24 Oct 2018 #125

Threadkilla! 7wo7rees Oct 2018 #140

Lee was Lincoln's first pick to lead the Union Army. Xolodno Oct 2018 #143

Lee was another loser duforsure Oct 2018 #144