Trump's praise of Robert E. Lee startles Minnesotans proud of state's role at Gettysburg [View all]

Standing in the heart of a state that has long felt pride in its role in helping save the Union at the pivotal Civil War battle of Gettysburg, President Donald Trump extolled at length Friday the battle prowess of a seemingly odd hero -- Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Some Minnesota veterans and Civil War historians were surprised to hear the commander-in-chief lavish praise on a man who led the Confederacy's fight against Americans defending the Union.

"Had he won, we would be two countries," state Sen. Jerry Newton, a veteran who served in the Vietnam War and the Middle East, said Saturday. "That's just unconscionable for me, for him to make those statements."

Newton, a Coon Rapids DFLer, said the president praising Lee "hurt for those of us who have served and who have lost friends in the service."

Read more: https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/2020/09/20/trumps-praise-robert-e-lee-startles-minnesotans-proud-states-role-gettysburg/5844394002/
(St. Cloud Times)