Trump says Confederate flag proud symbol of U.S. South

[webfact 62,618]

Trump says Confederate flag proud symbol of U.S. South

By Doina Chiacu

 

U.S. President Donald Trump touts administration efforts to curb federal regulations during an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 16, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump declined to say the Confederate flag was an offensive symbol in an interview broadcast on Sunday, saying it is a source of pride for people who love the South.

 

The Republican president was asked on "Fox News Sunday" if the flag, a symbol of U.S. slavery and white supremacy for many Americans, was offensive.

 

"It depends on who you're talking about, when you're talking about," Trump responded. "When people proudly had their Confederate flags they're not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South ... I say it's freedom of many things, but it's freedom of speech."

 

Trump has in the past appeared sympathetic to the flag and symbols of the Confederacy of the 1861-65 Civil War.

 

In 2017, he criticized the removal of monuments to the Confederacy and said there were "very fine people on both sides" of a deadly clash in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

 

Earlier this month, he criticized NASCAR’s ban of the Confederate flag from its events.

 

Breaking with several of his fellow Republicans in Congress, Trump has promised to veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act over an amendment to remove the names of Confederate generals from military bases within a year.

 

"We won World Wars out of these, out of these military bases, no I'm not gonna go changing. I'm not gonna go changing," Trump said in the interview, which was taped on Friday.

 

He drew a parallel to the Black Lives Matter movement that was born out of police brutality targeting Black Americans.

 

"I’m not offended either by Black Lives Matter. That’s freedom of speech," Trump said.

 

Former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell, who last month endorsed Democrat Joe Biden in the November election, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" the Confederate flag represents something that was never the United States of America.

 

"It was the Confederate States of America. They were not part of us and this is not the time to keep demonstrating who they were and what they were back then," said Powell, who is Black. "This is time to move on. Let's get going. We have one flag and only one flag only."

 

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Sonya Hepinstall)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-20

 

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[Tug 15,869]

Imo they can be proud of that flag I understand the history but to be proud of the cause they fought for is another matter entirely it was evil and wrong it was treason they tryed to destroy our country imo put all the statues in high quality museums remove all names from our military bases if they are so proud of almost destroying the country and getting lots of people killed let them do it in a museum 

[TopDeadSenter 8,563]

Always wanted a '69 Charger in bright orange with a confederate flag on the roof. Can just imagine blasting down the dusty Tennessee back country roads, maybe hop a creek or 2, even a few yeehaws for good measure. Good to know Trump approves!

 If any flag should be banned, and the idea is ridiculous, it should be the hammer and sickle flag. You know the symbol of strict leftism that killed millions. But they are not going to like that! 

Edited July 19 by TopDeadSenter

[LawrenceN 1,284]

Can't win the Electoral College with only Alabama and Mississippi. Even Georgia is in play. 

[Tug 15,869]

2 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Always wanted a '69 Charger in bright orange with a confederate flag on the roof. Can just imagine blasting down the dusty Tennessee back country roads, maybe hop a creek or 2, even a few yeehaws for good measure. Good to know Trump approves!

 If any flag should banned, and the idea is ridiculous, but it should be the hammer and sickle flag. You know the symbol of strict leftism that killed millions. 

Hey now that’s trumps #1 pal running that country 

[OneMoreFarang 21,264]

I think Trump should be allowed to have his opinion about that flag.

Let's just look at all the other things he says. There should be by now at least a thousand reasons why he should be removed.

[metisdead 8,472]

An offensive post has been removed.

 

A post using multi quotes has been removed:

 

Forum Netiquette:

 

5. Please do not quote multiple nested quotes. Quote only the relevant section that you are discussing. Moderators will snip excessively long nested quotes. 

 

[mtls2005 12,323]

38 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 If any flag should be banned, and the idea is ridiculous, it should be the hammer and sickle flag. You know the symbol of strict leftism that killed millions. But they are not going to like that! 

 

No one is "banning" a flag. Yes, some states, like Mississippi, and some businesses, like NASCAR, are distancing themselves from this racist relic of the traitors to our country. People can still wear/wave or paint their car, with this flag, as this would be protected under our Constitution. You caould even burn it if you wanted.

 

No clue what you're on about with a "hammer and sickle flag? The Russian Federation's flag is a simple tri-color of red, white and blue.

 

And no flag has ever killed anyone, let alone millions.

 

Not that it hasn't been tried though...

 

(The Soiling of Old Glory is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken by Stanley Forman during the Boston busing crisis in 1976. It depicts a white teenager, Joseph Rakes, assaulting a black man—lawyer and civil rights activist Ted Landsmark—with a flagpole bearing the American flag (also known as Old Glory).}

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20 by mtls2005

[Boon Mee 10,434]

34 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Always wanted a '69 Charger in bright orange with a confederate flag on the roof. Can just imagine blasting down the dusty Tennessee back country roads, maybe hop a creek or 2, even a few yeehaws for good measure. Good to know Trump approves!

 If any flag should be banned, and the idea is ridiculous, it should be the hammer and sickle flag. You know the symbol of strict leftism that killed millions. But they are not going to like that! 

 Don't forget having Daisy by your side too! 555 

[EVENKEEL 4,076]

Worth a peak, interesting how other countries fly the flag for different reasons.......

 

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/confederate-flag-fact-you-can-find-it-flying-many-other-countries-165128

[Chomper Higgot 28,042]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Always wanted a '69 Charger in bright orange with a confederate flag on the roof. Can just imagine blasting down the dusty Tennessee back country roads, maybe hop a creek or 2, even a few yeehaws for good measure. Good to know Trump approves!

 If any flag should be banned, and the idea is ridiculous, it should be the hammer and sickle flag. You know the symbol of strict leftism that killed millions. But they are not going to like that! 

Just be careful which neighborhoods you drive through.

[evadgib 16,371]

This nonsense, along with changing fort names to purge the names of civil war generals on the losing side should be left alone. Pandering to the mob will only encourage more of the same.

IMO Trump was right (& has bigger fish to fry)

Edited July 20 by evadgib

[TopDeadSenter 8,563]

52 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

No one is "banning" a flag.

"US military effectively bans Confederate flag with new policy"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53450820

 

"Nascar bans Confederate flag from all tracks due to associations with slavery"

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/10/nascar-confederate-flag-banned

 

[stevenl 25,178]

24 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Worth a peak, interesting how other countries fly the flag for different reasons.......

 

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/confederate-flag-fact-you-can-find-it-flying-many-other-countries-165128

Everywhere a symbol of right wing, even neo Nazis, extremism.

Did you read before posting?

[mtls2005 12,323]

2 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

"US military effectively bans Confederate flag with new policy"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53450820

 

"Nascar bans Confederate flag from all tracks due to associations with slavery"

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/10/nascar-confederate-flag-banned

 

 

The government and private businesses are free to prohibit all sorts of activities. These rules can be challenged.

 

You, as an American citizen are free to wave your Confederate flag.