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New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Thursday urged his counterparts around the country to take down the Confederate statues, and took a veiled shot at Trump by citing a lack of national leadership on this issue that mayors should step up to fill.

"Once again, mayors have been asked to fill a void of national leadership," wrote Landrieu, a Democrat and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in a letter released Thursday. "I hope our combined efforts have put us on a path toward equity and reconciliation. But no matter how America navigates these troubled times, the courage and conviction of our cities will ultimately chart our course."

While Landrieu's letter never named Trump, it's a direct shot at the president, who said Thursday he opposes the removal of the statues. The president also drew broad criticism for waffling on issuing explicit condemnations of the white nationalists who rallied in Charlottesville, Va., and emphasizing that counter-protesters also committed acts of violence.

"You had some very bad people in that group," Trump said Tuesday. "You also had some very fine people on both sides."

White nationalists gathered Friday and Saturday in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. They celebrated Nazism and chanted Friday evening that "Jews will not replace us." That display drew counter-protesters affiliated with Antifa, a group of anarchist leftists who clashed with the original rallygoers and assaulted reporters documenting the scene. The violence turned deadly when someone drove a vehicle into a crowd of Antifa members, killing one and injuring 19 others; police say the driver was one of the white nationalists.

Landrieu made clear that he aspires to be a national leader on this issue. "I pledge to you today the full resources of the U.S. Conference of Mayors to help you unite your community," he said. "As president of this conference, I will commit to do everything we can to stand up to those who seek to divide us and perpetuate hate. If you choose to do the same in your city, we will stand with you."

He said that "the Confederacy's shameful legacy will be with us, whether we memorialize it in marble or not," but argued that "there is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence for it." He also asked mayors to help guide their cities through the issue.

"I encourage each of you to lead your community through a conversation on race and equity," Landrieu wrote. "This process can be painful, and I know it may feel like you're choosing the path of most resistance. But your city, and our entire union, will be stronger for it."

Landrieu ordered the removal of Confederate monuments from New Orleans in May, providing opponents of such statues with one of their biggest successes in recent years. His subsequent defense of that decision stoked speculation that he could be a dark-horse presidential candidate in 2020.

Read more:
Democrat mayor claims 'void of national leadership' under Trump - Washington Examiner