President Trump on Tuesday criticized the removal of statues depicting historical figures as an attack on U.S. heritage, in a high-profile speech to conservative donors and policymakers at the Heritage Foundation.Weeks after leaders in several U.S. cities ordered the removal of various Confederate memorials and monuments, Trump on Tuesday condemned renewed efforts to eliminate statues of famed Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus. 

"We believe we should preserve our history, not tear it down," he said. "Now, they are trying to destroy statues of Christopher Columbus. What's next? It has to be stopped; it's heritage."