John Reid’s Controversial Remarks on Confederate Figures
Virginia’s lieutenant governor hopeful, John Reid, recently stirred controversy with his comments praising Confederate leaders and likening their critics to the Taliban.
During a conversation on the Conservative & Chic podcast on October 28, Reid criticized the dismantling of Confederate monuments from public venues.
“Much of the Civil War was fought here [in Virginia],” Reid remarked. “A lot of the people who are well-known characters—who’ve been dead for 160 years—lived and worked, and, in some cases, were born and raised in Virginia. Legendary names like Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, and Matthew Fontaine Maury. It’s a remarkable group of people!”
Reid addressed the 2020 George Floyd protests, highlighting the instances when Confederate statues were defaced by demonstrators and subsequently removed by state authorities. While he acknowledged modern disagreements with Confederate ideologies, he condemned the monument removal as “Talibanesque” and labeled those involved as “barbarians.”
Reid’s narrative aligns with the Lost Cause myth, which romanticizes the Confederacy and minimizes the centrality of slavery in the Civil War. This perspective is championed by groups like the Ku Klux Klan but is largely discredited by scholars.
Reid emphasized his disinterest in revisiting Civil War debates, stating he does not wish to argue over “who was right and who was wrong.”
Confederate leaders such as Lee and Jackson, who Reid referenced, were key military figures known for their harsh tactics and support of slavery. Lee, in particular, enforced the abduction and enslavement of free Black individuals. Maury, associated with the Confederate Navy, did not own slaves but advocated for slavery’s continuation and expansion.
Despite Reid’s praise, Lee and Maury resisted racial equality even after the war, with Jackson having passed during the conflict.
Before entering the political arena, Reid was a radio talk show host. He faces Democratic contender state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi in the upcoming election on November 4.
The full article titled Republican John Reid says Confederate generals were “remarkable people” can be found at American Journal News.
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