Alexander: ‘Hope’ SC Removes Confederate Flag

The South Carolina and American flags flying at half-staff behind the Confederate flag ere
Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) joined Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) Monday in opposition to South Carolina continuing to fly the Confederate flag.

“It is up to the people of South Carolina, but I hope they remove a flag that many see as a symbol of racial intolerance,” Alexander said in a statement Monday.

“The flag to fly is the American flag, because it is a symbol that this is one country and we are all Americans,” he added.

The senior Tennessee senator’s statement followed his colleague Corker’s comments earlier Monday.

During an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Corker said the Confederate flag no longer servers a purpose.

“I see no reason for it to continue, I would certainly vote against flying the flag and my sense is that’s what they are going to do,” Corker said.

A growing number of politicians have weighed in on the propriety of South Carolina flying the Confederate flag on its Statehouse grounds following a racially motivated shooting that claimed the lives of nine people in Charleston last week.

Reports indicate that South Carolina Sens. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Gov. Nikki Haley are expected to call for the flags removal later Monday.

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