Karl Rove Says Trump’s Confederate Flag Apologia Is A Bad Idea

SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 21:  Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to U.S. President George W. Bush, speaks during a panel discussion at the 2008 Mortgage Bankers Association Conference and Expo October 21, 2008 in San Francisco, California. The annual Mortgage Bankers conference runs through October 22.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush, speaks during a panel discussion at the 2008 Mortgage Bankers Association Conference and Expo on October 21, 2008 in San Francis... Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush, speaks during a panel discussion at the 2008 Mortgage Bankers Association Conference and Expo on October 21, 2008 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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GOP strategist Karl Rove, whom President Donald Trump has reportedly consulted for advice on his reelection campaign, asserted on Tuesday that the President tweeting in defense of the Confederate flag isn’t doing him any favors.

“Did what the President tweeted on Monday advance the cause that he laid out on Saturday?” Rove said during a Fox News interview, referring to Trump’s bombastic speech at Mount Rushmore this weekend. “I think the answer is an unambiguous no, it did not.”

“The President has a limited number of days between now and the election. When he tweets, it’s a powerful message,” he continued. “And the question is does that message continue to advance the narrative that he and those around him decided that he would lay out on Saturday at Mount Rushmore? And the answer is no, it didn’t.”

Rove met with Trump, several Trump campaign aides, and GOP chair Ronna McDaniel at the White House in May to discuss strategy ahead of the November elections, according to Politico.

However, Rove’s influence over Trump’s 2020 game plan should be taken with a grain of salt. Rove told Politico that while he occasionally connects with Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, he isn’t involved in the campaign itself.

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