President Donald Trump and his administration frequently misrepresent their personal enemies as enemies to the entire United States. From questioning former President Barack Obama's citizenship to calling the press 'the enemy of the people,' Trump and his administration have signaled that dissent is tantamount to betrayal.
So when Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder went on MSNBC to criticize the administration's infamous "Make America Great Again" slogan, he was already playing with fire.
“When I hear these things about let’s ‘Make America Great Again,’ I think to myself, exactly when did you think America was great? It certainly wasn’t when people were enslaved," Holder said. "It certainly wasn’t when women didn’t have the right to vote. It certainly wasn’t when the LGBT community was denied the rights to which it was entitled. You know, America has done superb things, has done great things, and it has been a leader in a whole range of things, but we’re always a work in process."
He continued:
“Looking back, ‘Make America Great Again’ is inconsistent with who we are as Americans at our best where we look at the uncertain future, embrace it, and make it our own.”
Vice President Mike Pence pounced on one sentence in Holder's words.
And Holder had the perfect response.
Twitter agreed.
And put Mike Pence through the wringer.
Holder's words reminded many of a harsh reality.
For many people, America hasn't always been great—for some, it still it isn't.
Others displayed a hatred that only proved Holder's point.
There's a lot of work to do.
