Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Trump Tried to Make MLK Day All About His Own Economic Record and Martin Luther King Jr's Son Just Called Him Out

Trump Tried to Make MLK Day All About His Own Economic Record and Martin Luther King Jr's Son Just Called Him Out
Drew Angerer/Getty Images // Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

To commemorate the life and legacy of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday named after him, many lawmakers participated by volunteering in their communities as a day of service.

President Donald Trump was not one of those people.


Shortly before heading to Davos for the World Economic Forum, Trump tweeted about Dr. King, using the day as a chance to tout his unemployment record.

Trump often touts the unemployment rate of Black Americans to dismiss accusations that his campaign and presidency have targeted people of color. Like the overall American unemployment rate, the downward trend of African American unemployment began with former President Barack Obama.

CNN asked Dr. King's son, Martin Luther King III, to respond to the comment.

King III said:

"I think they're always good words, but the question is: Is it actually documented and true? When I travel around the country, between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, African American unemployment rates are 40, 50 and 60 percent in some communities. If we were as well-off as being stated, you would see violence decreased. You would see a community exist in more of a different way. But every day, somewhere around this nation, particularly in communities of color, someone is being killed. In poor communities someone is being killed. More and more people are living on the streets in a trillion-dollar economy. A nation with trillions of dollars of economy, we have the audacity to have homeless people. That is unacceptable."

In the past, Trump has demonstrated a disdain for Black communities in the United States and across the world. Last year, he raged against the city of Baltimore and its late representative, Elijah Cummings. Trump called the city rat-infested. He also referred to countries like Haiti as "sh--hole countries."

King wasn't the only one to challenge Trump's comments.







Trump had no public events on his schedule Monday to celebrate Dr. King's day, but he and Vice President Mike Pence made an an unannounced visit to the King memorial in D.C.

More from People/donald-trump

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less