President Trump has resisted calls by protesters against racism in the U.S. to get rid of vestiges of the Confederacy. He has said that his administration would not allow military installations that bear the names of Confederate leaders to be rechristened. At a July press conference, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the bases “are not known for the generals they are named after, the bases are known for the heroes that served at them.” Trump also signed an executive order which would send protestors who deface historical monuments to jail for ten years.

“Robert E. Lee, whether you like him or not, he won many battles in a row,” Trump said Friday. “He would have won except for Gettysburg.”

Trump said U.S. protesters “have no idea what they’re ripping down. They’re ripping down in many cases greatness. They’re ripping down our past. They’re ripping down our history. That’s where these guys begin. They take away your history.”