Rev. King's children criticize Trump
Martin Luther King Jr.’s children and the pastor of an Atlanta church where he preached decried disparaging remarks President Donald Trump is said to have made about African countries, while protests between Haitian immigrants and Trump supporters broke out near the president’s Florida resort Monday, the official federal holiday honoring King.
At gatherings across the nation, activists, residents and teachers honored the late civil rights leader on what would have been his 89th birthday and ahead of the 50th anniversary of his assassination in Memphis, Tenn.
Trump marked his first Martin Luther King Jr. Day as president buffeted by claims that during a meeting with senators on immigration last week, he used a vulgarity to describe African countries and questioned the need to allow more Haitians into the U.S. He also is said to have asked why the country couldn’t have more immigrants from nations like Norway.
Trump — who on Friday encouraged the public to observe the holiday “with acts of civic work and community service in honor of Dr. King’s extraordinary life” — was at his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday and remained largely out of sight.
In Washington, King’s eldest son, Martin Luther King III, criticized Trump, saying, “When a president insists that our nation needs more citizens from white states like Norway, I don’t even think we need to spend any time even talking about what it says and what it is.”
He added, “We got to find a way to work on this man’s heart.”
In Atlanta, King’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, told hundreds of people who packed the pews of the Ebenezer Baptist Church that they “cannot allow the nations of the world to embrace the words that come from our president as a reflection of the true spirit of America.”
“We are one people, one nation, one blood, one destiny . ... All of civilization and humanity originated from the soils of Africa,” she said. “Our collective voice in this hour must always be louder than the one who sometimes does not reflect the legacy of my father.”
The church’s pastor, Rev. Raphael Warnock, took issue with Trump’s campaign slogan to “Make America Great Again.”
Warnock said he thinks America “is already great ... in large measure because of Africa and African people.”
Down the street from Mar-a-Lago on Monday, Haitian protesters and Trump supporters yelled at each other from opposing corners. Video posted by WPEC-TV showed several hundred pro-Haiti demonstrators yelling from one side of the street Monday while waving Haitian flags. The Haitians and their supporters shouted, “Our country is not a shithole,” referring to the comment avout African nations the president reportedly made.
The White House has not denied Trump used the vulgarity, but Trump and some Republicans have disputed public accounts of the meeting.
The smaller pro-Trump contingent waved American flags and campaign posters and yelled “Trump is making America great again.” One man could be seen telling the Haitians to leave the country. Police kept the sides apart.
Trump staying out of view Monday contrasts with how some of his recent predecessors observed the King holiday.
President Barack Obama and his family performed community service, and President George W. Bush accepted a portrait of King for display in the White House from King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, in 2002.
Trump appeared with a niece and nephew of King’s relatives in the run-up to the holiday, and he keeps a bust of King on display in the Oval Office.