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Donald Trump condemns the removal of ‘beautiful’ statues of Confederate generals and slave owners Donald Trump condemns the removal of ‘beautiful’ statues of Confederate generals and slave owners
(35 minutes later)
Donald Trump has just tweeted once again about the events in Charlottesville, saying that the removal of statues of Confederate Generals makes him "sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart".  Donald Trump has just tweeted once again about the events in Charlottesville, Virginia saying that the removal of statues of Confederate Generals makes him "sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart". 
He also tweeted "you can't change history, but you can learn from it," appearing to imply that keeping the statues up would be a reminder of the country's Civil War bloodshed and the scourge of slavery. He also tweeted "you can't change history, but you can learn from it," appearing to imply that keeping the statues up would be a reminder of the country's Civil War bloodshed and the scourge of slavery. 
Mr Trump has given several statements on the events and appeared to double-down on his initial comments that "many sides" were responsible for the violence in Charlottesville.  Mr Trump has given several statements on the events and has doubled-down on his initial comments that "many sides" were responsible for the violence in Charlottesville, not just neo-Nazis and white supremacists. 
During a recent news conference at Trump Tower, Mr Trump said multiple times that many of the protesters were there to "innocently...legally" oppose the removal of Civil War Confederate General Robert E Lee and that not all of them were neo-Nazis and white supremacists.During a recent news conference at Trump Tower, Mr Trump said multiple times that many of the protesters were there to "innocently...legally" oppose the removal of Civil War Confederate General Robert E Lee and that not all of them were neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
He added that the media "would know [that] if you're honest reporters, but you're not".He added that the media "would know [that] if you're honest reporters, but you're not".
He had suggested: “George Washington was a slave owner. Are we gonna take down statues of George Washington? ... you're changing history, you're changing culture," suggesting that Lee and Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, who both led rebel Southern forces in the Civil War to secede from the US, were equivalent to the US president and Thomas Jefferson.  Mr Lee himself opposed erecting statues and monuments commemorating the Confederates after losing the war, saying that he felt it left the wounds of war open as the country was healing and coming together. 
In his tweets Mr Trump said the statues will "never" be able to be "comparably replaced," but counter-protesters  He had suggested: “George Washington was a slave owner. Are we gonna take down statues of George Washington? ... you're changing history, you're changing culture," suggesting that Lee and Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, who both led rebel Southern forces in the Civil War to secede from the US, were equivalent to the US' first president and Thomas Jefferson. 
More follows… Both men owned slaves as well, Mr Trump pointed out.
In his tweets, Mr Trump said the statues will not be able to be "comparably replaced".
  
Mr Trump has condemned the Klu Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists but he has said the "alt-left" counter-protesters included some violent people. 
The President mourned the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer in a tweet and condemned James Alex Fields, the alleged driver of the vehicle which plowed into the crowd in Charlottesville, killing her. 
Ms Heyer was at the protests to stand up for the removal of the statue as a monument to slavery.