In an interview Sunday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), suggested the nation’s first president may be too problematic have monuments. When asked by a CNN anchor where the statue desecration should end, and whether George Washington should be torn down, she stated there should be a conversation about it.
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“Well let me just say we should start out by having a national dialogue on it at some point,” the sitting US Senator answered. She then attempted to change the topic by accusing Trump of glorifying “dead confederates” on the Fourth of July, something he did not do.
Duckworth is currently one of the Biden campaign’s top contenders for his vice presidential running mate.
To her credit, CNN Anchor Dana Bash pushed Duckworth on her dodge, only to have the senator repeat the maneuver. “George Washington, I don’t think anyone would call him a traitor,” Bash said. “And there are moves by some to remove statues of him. So, is that a good idea?”
“I think we should listen to the everybody. I think we should listen to the argument there.” Duckworth stated. She then quickly changed the topic back to the Trump. “But the President, at Mount Rushmore, was standing on ground stolen from Native Americans, who had actually been given that land by a treaty. And again, let’s talk about the greater context about where we are in the country right now.”
The statements come as statues of the Founding Fathers have been toppled across the country. Numerous leftist politicians and media figures have also encouraged conversations about the “appropriateness” of iconic monuments such as Mount Rushmore, particularly since Trump gave a speech defending the Founding Fathers there Friday night.
