The daughter of Martin Luther King has turned down a claim that the major icon of the U.S. civil rights movements would have been “proud of” Donald Trump.
In a series of tweets, King’s daughter, Bernice King rejected Steve Bannon’s claim that King would be proud of Trump’s policies.
Bannon “has dangerously and erroneously co-opted my father’s name, work and words,” Bernice wrote.
#SteveBannon has dangerously and erroneously co-opted my father’s name, work and words.
Bannon’s assertion that my father, #MLK, would be proud of Donald Trump wholly ignores Daddy’s commitment to people of all races, nationalities, etc. being treated with dignity and respect.
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018
Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, said Wednesday on BBC Newsnight program that “if you look at the policies of Donald Trump, anybody — Martin Luther King — would be proud of him, of what he’s done for the Black and Hispanic community for jobs.”
He told BBC that King would have approved of the president’s anti-immigration policies as they stop “illegal alien labour forces” from competing with Black Americans for jobs every day.
However, Bernice said the claim has ignored many of King’s values, and her father would be “extremely disturbed” by recent events.
My father would be extremely disturbed by the climate created by leaders, who have emboldened people to easily express and demonstrate cruelty, predominantly toward people of color and immigrants. #MLK
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018
In addition, he would never pit one group against another in the struggle for justice, as Bannon attempts to use him to do in discussing those he termed as “illegal aliens” and Black people. #MLK
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018
“My father’s concerns were not sectional, but global. He was an activist for the civil rights of Black people in America, but he was also an activist for human rights,” she tweeted.
Bannon was chief executive of the Trump campaign in its final three months during the 2016 U.S. elections.
He became the chief strategist after Trump took office in January 2017 and left the White House in August.
