Theodore Roosevelt Statue, Flanked by African and Native American Men, to be Removed in New York

For decades, a hulking bronze statue of President Theodore Roosevelt atop a horse, flanked by Native American and African men on foot, has greeted visitors at the entrance of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The roles of the two nameless men have provoked debate and protests for years, as critics said they appeared subservient to the powerful white man, creating an unmistakable portrait of racial hierarchy and colonialism.

Now, the museum said the time has come to take down the statue of the 26th president.

On Sunday, the museum announced that it had the permission of New York City — along with the blessing of Roosevelt’s great-grandson — to remove the Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt, as it’s formally known. New York City owns the statue and the property on which it was built in 1940.

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President Trump, though, called the move “ridiculous” on Twitter early Monday morning, pleading, “Don’t do it!”