The Pentagon is once again honoring a Confederate general—this time by reinstalling a massive 20-foot portrait of Robert E. Lee in full Confederate gray at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

 The painting even includes a depiction of an enslaved man guiding Lee’s horse.

This isn’t preserving history. It’s glorifying a rebellion built to defend slavery.

The portrait was originally removed in 2022 after a bipartisan congressional commission ordered the military to take down all Confederate memorials. That decision reflected overwhelming public sentiment and acknowledged that honoring Confederate leaders on U.S. military campuses sends the wrong message to generations of service members—especially Black cadets.

Now, under President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, that progress is being rolled back. The decision to reinstall this painting is part of a larger campaign to reverse efforts to remove Confederate symbols, including restoring base names and monuments dedicated to those who fought against the United States.

Let’s be clear:

Robert E. Lee led an armed rebellion against the U.S. military
He fought to uphold slavery and rejected loyalty to the country he once served
Honoring him in a federal military institution defies the values of unity, equality, and democratic service

We are calling on the Department of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, and the U.S. Military Academy leadership to immediately:

• Remove the Robert E. Lee portrait from West Point
• Comply with the 2020 law prohibiting the memorialization of Confederate leaders on military property
• Reject efforts to reinstate Confederate imagery under the guise of historical restoration
   

Cadets should learn history—but they shouldn’t be asked to revere those who fought to keep people enslaved.