The unhingery continues, as Trump fails at the Reaganesque joke of comparing his age to opponents like Joe Biden. He then “virtue-signals” to the Trumpian base by reference to Charlottesville because traitorous slavers need their props. There are more examples of how Trump is historically illiterate, but it would be interesting to test his claim that active-duty generals told him that Robert E. Lee was a favorite.
In 1865, after the war, Lee was paroled and signed an oath of allegiance, asking to have his citizenship of the United States restored. Lee's application was misplaced; as a result, he did not receive a pardon and his citizenship was not restored.[8]
[...]
In 1975, the U.S. Congress posthumously restored Lee's citizenship effective June 13, 1865.[8]
Lee opposed the construction of public memorials to Confederate rebellion on the grounds that they would prevent the healing of wounds inflicted during the war.[9] Nevertheless, after his death, Lee became an icon used by promoters of "Lost Cause" mythology, who sought to romanticize the Confederate cause and strengthen white supremacy in the South.[9] Later in the 20th century, particularly following the civil rights movement, historians reassessed Lee; his reputation fell based on his failure to support rights for freedmen after the war, and even his strategic choices as a military leader fell under scrutiny.[11][13]
