During that same address, Smith also talked about the Confederate flag — and called upon the state of Mississippi to remove the Confederate flag pattern from its own state flag.

“It’s got to go,” Smith said. “Put it in the museum. Don’t get rid of it. Certainly put it in a museum, used it as a teaching device, have it as part of your curriculum… Get it out of the stadium. Get it out of my Grove. Get it out of my state. I’m embarrassed by this.”

Last month, a federal appeals court threw out a lawsuit filed against the state over the use of the Confederate flag pattern in the Mississippi flag.