Confederate Statues in D.C. Set for Restoration Amid Controversy Over Historical Preservation

Two statues commemorating the Confederacy in the Washington, D.C. area are set to be restored and reinstalled following President Donald Trump’s push to preserve and reframe America's historical narrative. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the Arlington National Cemetery statue, known as "The Reconciliation Monument," which was removed in 2023, will be returned. Similarly, the National Park Service stated on Monday that the statue of Confederate General Albert Pike, previously toppled during 2020 protests, will be reinstalled at its original location in Judiciary Square by October. The Pike statue, the only Confederate military statue in D.C., was removed during protests that followed George Floyd's death.

Hegseth defended the restoration, saying on social media, "This statue never should have been taken down by woke lemmings... we don’t believe in erasing American history – we honor it." The statues' reinstatement aligns with Trump’s "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" executive order, which denounced the post-Floyd movement to reinterpret American history, claiming it deepens divides and fosters national shame. The Pike statue itself, which was erected in 1901, has long stirred controversy due to Pike’s Confederate ties and his prominent role in the Freemasons.

The decision has sparked criticism, particularly from Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who called the move "odd and indefensible," and announced plans to introduce legislation for the statue's permanent removal, suggesting it be placed in a museum. Pike, whose statue has been contentious for years, remains a symbol of a long-standing debate over how the U.S. should reckon with its history of slavery and the Confederacy.

Link: ABC 7