MLK’s Son Shuts Down Pence: My Father Was A ‘Bridge Builder, Not A Wall Builder’

Bernice King the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks during the IÊAM 2018Ê"MountaintopÊSpeech" Commemoration at the Mason TempleÊChurch of God in Christ the same place her father delivered his "Mountaintop" speech, on the eve of his assassination April 3, 2018 in Memphis, Tennessee. The city is commemorating the 50th anniversary of King's assassination on April 4, 1968.
MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 03: Martin Luther King III the son of Martin Luther King, Jr., attends the I AM 2018 "Mountaintop Speech" Commemoration at the Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, the same place his father del... MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 03: Martin Luther King III the son of Martin Luther King, Jr., attends the I AM 2018 "Mountaintop Speech" Commemoration at the Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, the same place his father delivered his "Mountaintop" speech on the eve of his assassination, April 3, 2018 in Memphis, Tennessee. The city is commemorating the 50th anniversary of King's assassination on April 4, 1968. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Martin Luther King Jr.’s son doesn’t appreciate Vice President Mike Pence comparing his father’s civil rights activism to President Donald Trump’s attempt to build a border wall.

Martin Luther King III on Monday responded to Pence’s Face the Nation interview, during which the VP used a quote from MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech to make a case for Trump’s wall.

“Martin Luther King Jr was a bridge builder, not a wall builder,” said King, according to Atlantic writer Edward-Isaac Dovere. “Martin Luther King Jr. would say, ‘Love, not hate, will make America great.'”

During his interview, Pence repeated MLK’s quote “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy” and declared that’s “exactly” what Trump was doing by demanding $5.7 billion for his unpopular border wall.

King himself later tweeted a Hill report on his comments, thus confirming his response.

H/t the Hill.

Latest News
43
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Q-Tip isn’t fit to utter the MLK name, or plagiarize his speeches.

  2. It was an outrageous comparison for Pence to make. MLK Jr. would not have endorsed Trump’s racist wall or the cruelty of his policies.

  3. Also, how many African Americans were shoo’d away from the MLK memorial on the Mall today when Trump and Q-tip showed up for there 2 minute photo-op?

  4. Pence: “will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the color of their hair.”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

37 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for bobbybob Avatar for ghost Avatar for old_curmudgeon Avatar for bojimbo26 Avatar for waltl Avatar for ottnott Avatar for greylady Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for dickweed Avatar for moreyampersand Avatar for longriver Avatar for darrtown Avatar for benthere Avatar for bodie1 Avatar for caltg Avatar for uneducated Avatar for prometheus_bic Avatar for maximus Avatar for aiddon Avatar for zillacop Avatar for outis Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for rascal_crone

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: