Laura Ingraham praises Confederate Robert E. Lee for “reuniting the country” Ingraham: “He owned slaves but he also played an indispensable role in Reconstruction” Written by Media Matters Staff Published 09/08/21 10:52 PM EDT Video file Citation From the September 8, 2021, edition of Fox News' The Ingraham Angle LAURA INGRAHAM (HOST): If you love him or hate him, Robert E. Lee is a towering figure in American history. Of course, he fought for the Confederacy, he owned slaves but he also played an indispensable role in post-war Reconstruction that was just instrumental in reuniting the country. In fact, Lee has long been respected and even admired by Northerners and Southerners alike.