President Trump lamented Thursday that "beautiful statues and monuments" of Confederate figures are being removed following the violence in Charlottesville, Va.

"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. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson - who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! Also the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced!" Trump tweeted.

Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017

...can't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson - who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! Also... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017

...the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017

In the wake of the events in Charlottesville on Saturday, where white nationalist groups protesting the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee clashed with counter-protesters, state officials nationwide have begun calling for the removal of Confederate-era monuments.

Trump questioned Tuesday during a press conference at Trump Tower whether the removal of statues of figures such as Lee and Stonewall Jackson would be a slippery slope and eventually lead to monuments of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson being removed, both of whom were slave owners.