White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly on Monday called Robert E. Lee was "an honorable man" and said that "the lack of an ability to compromise" led to the Civil War, once again thrusting himself into the public spotlight on an emotionally charged issue.
The comments, made on the debut night of conservative media host Laura Ingraham's show on Fox News, came after Kelly was asked about the recent decision by a Virginia church to remove plaques that honored the Confederate general and George Washington.
"I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man," Kelly told Ingraham.