Wendy Rogers, a Republican state senator-elect for Arizona, lumped praise on Robert E. Lee, calling the late Confederate general a “great patriot” in a series of social media posts made about him Monday.
Ms. Rogers, a former Air Force pilot, made the remarks after the removal that morning from the U.S. Capitol building of a statue honoring Lee, who led the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
“Robert E Lee was a great patriot and a great leader. They are not just tearing him down. They are coming after all of us. Get involved now. You could be next,” Ms. Rogers posted on Twitter.
Ms. Rogers continued to post in defense of Lee throughout the day, including a tweet claiming the Confederate general “loved our country” more than several current Democratic congresswomen she named.
Specifically, Ms. Rogers alleged that Lee was more patriotic than Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Talib of Minnesota, among others.
“Robert E Lee served his country and his state which is more than most of these socialist imposters have done,” Ms. Rogers tweeted afterward.
“It is un-American to tear down, erase, and burn history. Only cowards and tyrants do that,” Ms. Rogers said in another tweet later.
The House of Representatives voted in July to rid the Capitol of Confederate statues, paving the way for the removal of Lee’s early Monday.
Among verified Twitter users who took issue with Ms. Rogers was Rep. Ruben Gallego, Arizona Democrat, a fellow military veteran who countered that Lee betrayed his country.
“Waging war against your country is treasonous,” tweeted Mr. Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran. “Confederates fought to preserve slavery & killed other Americans for it.”
Ms. Rogers attested otherwise by arguing Lee was right to resign from the U.S. Army within days of his native Virginia seceding from the Union in 1861 during the onset of the Civil War.
“It is not treasonous to side with your state,” replied Ms. Rogers. “We are a nation comprised of states.”
Ms. Rogers, 66, won last month’s Arizona state senate race by defeating Democratic opponent Felicia French by a margin of more than nine percentage points. She is set to assume office on Jan. 11.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.