Trump defends his infamous Charlottesville remarks by insisting 'many people' say Robert E. Lee is their favorite general
President Donald Trump lauds Confederate General Robert E. Lee/ CNN screen shot composite

In an unhinged impromptu press conference with reporters on Friday, President Donald Trump responded to a question about Joe Biden's campaign announcement video -which slammed the president's reaction to the murderous neo-Nazi riot in Charlottesville Virginia that left a young woman dead- by suggesting the incident was understandable because "many people" had told him Confederate General Robert E. Lee was "their favorite general".


The 2017 incident was sparked in part by the city's decision to remove a monument that honored the Confederate officer.

Trump, who is 72 years old, visibly overweight, and famously addicted to McDonald's had just taken a moment to insist that he was "a young, vibrant man," when an unseen reporter shouted a question about his reaction to the riots, in which he referred to the crowd carrying swastika flags and torches as "very fine people."

"I have answered that question, and if you look at what I said, you will see that that question was answered perfectly," Trump said. "I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general." Lee, in fact, took up arms against his own country to defend chattel slavery, was in part responsible for the deaths of thousands of his fellow countrymen, and had his land seized in the aftermath as a national cemetery for those who died fighting him.

"I have spoken to many generals here right at the White House, and many people thought, of the generals, they think he was maybe their favorite general," Trump continued, praising one of the most famous traitors in US history. "People were there protesting the taking down of the monument of Robert E. Lee. Everybody knows that."

In fact, the protestors came armed and bearing torches, chanting "Jews will not replace us." Numerous attacks on minorities and others took place throughout the day, culminating in the murder of Heather Heyer, a peaceful protestor.

Watch the video below.