Retired Army General David Petraeus, one of the most senior US military commanders of the post-9/11 era, says the names of Confederate “traitors” should be removed from U.S. military bases.

The former CIA Director wrote in The Atlantic that “it is time to remove the names of traitors like Benning and Bragg from our country’s most important military installations,” referring to the training bases named after Gen. Henry Benning and Gen. Braxton Bragg, who Petraeus argued were subpar military leaders “who left much to be desired.”

“These bases are, after all, federal installations, home to soldiers who swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” the 67-year-old wrote. “The irony of training at bases named for those who took up arms against the United States, and for the right to enslave others, is inescapable to anyone paying attention. Now, belatedly, is the moment for us to pay such attention.”

“We do not live in a country to which Braxton Bragg, Henry L. Benning, or Robert E. Lee can serve as an inspiration. Acknowledging this fact is imperative. Should it fail to do so, the Army, which prides itself on leading the way in perilous times, will be left to fight a rearguard action against a more inclusive American future, one that fulfills the nation’s founding promise,” he concluded.

The perspective from Petraeus comes amid mass protests following the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody late last month after an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd, 46, was unarmed.

Part of the debate that has raged since regards Confederate statues, with some arguing they should be removed and others saying they are war memorials protected by law.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, both former Army officers, put word out through their spokesmen that they are ‘open to a bipartisan discussion’ of renaming Army bases such as North Carolina’s Fort Bragg that honor Confederate officers who led the fight against the Union and directly or implicitly defended the institution of slavery.

Separately, the Navy’s top admiral announced Tuesday that he will follow the example of Gen. David Berger, the commandant of the Marine Corps, who last week directed Marine commanders to remove public displays of the Confederate battle flag carried during the Civil War.

President Trump tweeted Wednesday that his administration “will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”

The declaration marked another effort by Trump to align himself with conservatives on divisive racial issues, even as much of the rest of the country appears to be moving in the other direction in significant ways.

The contrast underscores the risks that Trump faces in emphasizing such positions amid ongoing protests, an economic crisis and the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Shortly after Trump laid down his marker on the Confederate names, NASCAR — the racing circuit that includes many Trump voters among its fans — announced it was banning the display of the Confederate battle flag from “all NASCAR events and properties.”

The mayor of Birmingham, Ala., also ordered the removal of a Confederate statue from a public park on Wednesday, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called for the removal of Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol.

The U.S. Marine Corps announced late last week that it would ban public depictions of the Confederate battle flag on Marine installations.

“The Confederate battle flag has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no place in our Corps,” a Marine Corps statement on Friday read. “Our history as a nation, and events like the violence in Charlottesville in 2017, highlight the divisiveness the use of the Confederate battle flag has had on our society.”