Robert E. Lee Is Heading Back to West Point’s Walls

A 20-foot portrait of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, removed from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2022, is set to return to the library under orders from the Pentagon, officials told The New York Times. The painting, which depicts Lee in Confederate uniform beside a horse led by an enslaved man, had hung for nearly 70 years before being taken down in compliance with a 2020 law signed by President Biden. That law mandated the removal of Confederate names and symbols from U.S. military installations.

The decision to reinstall the portrait has sparked confusion and controversy, as it’s unclear how the move complies with the original legislation. Commentators like MSNBC’s Steve Benen note that the legal path forward is murky and may be intentionally bypassed.

An Army spokesperson defended the decision, stating, “Under this administration, we honor our history and learn from it—we don’t erase it.” The move aligns with efforts by the Trump administration to restore Confederate-era names, monuments, and memorabilia that were removed in recent years.

Lee, a West Point graduate and former superintendent of the academy, is still represented elsewhere on campus in portraits not showing his Confederate service.

President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have openly supported reversing recent changes, including restoring names of bases that once honored Confederate figures. According to The Independent, Trump expressed interest in reverting military base names such as Fort Gregg-Adams—previously Fort Lee under its Confederate designation.

To sidestep the 2020 law, Hegseth’s team has reportedly renamed some bases after lesser-known U.S. soldiers who coincidentally share surnames with Confederate generals. For example, the new Fort Lee honors Pvt. Fitz Lee, a Black soldier who served in the Spanish-American War, not Gen. Robert E. Lee. Similarly, Fort Bragg is now named after Pvt. Roland L. Bragg, who fought in World War II, replacing its original dedication to Confederate General Braxton Bra