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Roosevelt served as New York governor before becoming the 26th U.S. president. In a statement to the New York Times, one of his descendants expressed approval of the decision to remove the monument.

\"The world does not need statues, relics of another age, that reflect neither the values of the person they intend to honor nor the values of equality and justice,\" Roosevelt's great-grandson, Theodore Roosevelt IV, said. \"The composition of the Equestrian Statue does not reflect Theodore Roosevelt's legacy. It is time to move the statue and move forward.\"

It is not yet known when the statue will be removed or where it will go, the Times said. The museum is naming its Hall of Biodiversity after Roosevelt, according to the Times.

Protests over the death of George Floyd while in police custody last month have brought greater attention to statues that are associated with racial injustice, from monuments of Confederate generals to the explorer Christopher Columbus.

In that vein, New York City announced on Friday that it is considering reviewing monuments to historic figures, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Following the announcement of the Roosevelt statue's removal, New York State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis said on social media, \"First, they go after our Nation's Founding Fathers -- Washington and Jefferson -- in City Hall. Now TR??!! This is insanity and it has to stop now.\"

ABC News' Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.

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