Garrett called those comments from the president a step backward.

When asked if he believes he should condemn Trump’s comments, Garrett said he does not think it’s necessary.

“I’d like to look at what he says next time,” he said.

While many localities across the country have taken steps to remove Confederate monuments in the wake of Charlottesville, Garrett said his stance has not changed and that he believes statues should not be removed. Instead, he thinks they should be contextualized.

“I think what we ought to do is contextualize where we were and then honor where we are so that we can continue to move in the right direction,” he said. “You can have that statue and you can put a plaque at the foot of that statue that speaks to the evil institution that was slavery.”

Garrett said it’s not the role of Congress to make these types of decisions for states and localities.

On Aug. 13, Garrett was asked on Fox News about a photo from a meeting he had with Kessler in March. Garrett disavowed Kessler and said he had no idea who Kessler was prior to that meeting.