Meghan McCain thinks removal of statues has gone too far: 'Are you uncomfortable with Mount Rushmore?'
On Monday’s episode of "The View," Meghan McCain questioned the recent removal of a Theodore Roosevelt statue, seeing it as a potential slippery slope in editing America’s history. The American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Sunday announced it was removing the statue of Roosevelt outside its entrance. The decision was made not because of Roosevelt himself but because of the Native American and Black figures depicted in the work flanking his horse. McCain pushed back on this decision, saying, “We are entering a phase right now that I am not entirely comfortable with when we are going to completely eliminate all people who had anything to do in American history with something that’s problematic.” McCain countered the decision to take down the Roosevelt statue by raising issues with New York City and Yale University, both of which are named after figures associated with the slave trade. She questioned if Mount Rushmore, which depicts Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, would get caught in the cultural crossfire too. “The question I have is: How far does this go?” McCain asked. “Are we talking about removing Mount Rushmore if we don’t like our Founding Fathers? Are we talking about removing Robin Williams’s character from Night at the Museum [because] he portrays Teddy Roosevelt.”
Video Transcript
MEGHAN MCCAIN: Are you uncomfortable with Mount Rushmore? And I'm genuinely just curious because my opinion is so juxtaposed, clearly, with the rest of the show. But, like, Sunny, at what point do you think it is too much?
- The American Museum of Natural History in New York City recently decided to remove the statue of Teddy Roosevelt outside their entrance. The decision was made not because of Roosevelt but because of the Native American and black figures depicted in the work. On Monday's episode of "The View," Meghan McCain pushed back on the removal.
MEGHAN MCCAIN: We are entering a phase right now that I'm not entirely comfortable with when we're going to completely eliminate all people who had anything to do in American history with something that's problematic.
- Across the country, protesters have removed Confederate statues and problematic works as a reflection of the broader discussion of racism in America. McCain saw the actions as a potentially slippery slope.
MEGHAN MCCAIN: The question I have is how far does this go? Are we talking about removing Mount Rushmore if we don't like our founding fathers? Are we talking about removing Robin Williams' character from "Night at the Museum," the children's movie that he portrays Teddy Roosevelt?
- Whoopi Goldberg attempted to rein in the conversation, explaining why these statues are being reevaluated.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: All of these were put out by folks who were not affected, really, by it. It looked really heroic. And now folks who are affected say we want some of our heroes to participate in this. I think that's what this is really all about.
