President (and renown history buff) Trump chimed in, yet again, on the debate around the Confederate monuments: “Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You can’t change history, but you can learn from it.” Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi and Cory Booker are pushing for removal of Capitol’s Confederate statues.

+ The great grandsons of Stonewall Jackson: “While we are not ashamed of our great-great-grandfather, we are ashamed to benefit from white supremacy while our black family and friends suffer. We are ashamed of the monument.”

+ NYT: Trump Comments on Race Open Breach With CEOs, Military and GOP.

+ Steve Bannon on the white nationalists: “Ethno-nationalism–it’s losers. It’s a fringe element. I think the media plays it up too much, and we gotta help crush it, you know, uh, help crush it more … These guys are a collection of clowns.” From the American Prospect: Steve Bannon, Unrepentant.

+ Don’t buy the angle that Trump’s view on race were sparked by his presidential campaign and fueled by Bannon. From WaPo: Trump and race: Decades of fueling divisions. And from Vox: Trump has been saying racist things for a long time — and it’s never caused him a real loss.