How Martin Luther King Predicted the Dangers of Trump Bigotry in 1964

Back on July 16, 1964, Martin Luther King Jr, released a statement where he said:

How Martin Luther King Predicted the Dangers of Trump Bigotry in 1964 #Trump #MLKDay Click To Tweet

“The Republican Party geared its appeal and program to racism, reaction, and extremism…On the urgent issue of civil rights, Senator Goldwater represents a philosophy that is morally indefensible and socially suicidal. While not himself a racist, Mr. Goldwater articulates a philosophy which gives aid and comfort to the racist. His candidacy and philosophy would serve as an umbrella under which extremists of all stripes would stand. In the light of these facts and because of my love for America, I have no alternative but to urge every Negro and white person of goodwill to vote against Mr. Goldwater and to withdraw support from any Republican candidate that does not publicly disassociate himself from Senator Goldwater and his philosophy.”

It was an important statement from someone who was fighting for equality of human beings and exhorting for US – the democratic union where equality of citizens had been enshrined as part of the republic’s creed – to accept its promise.  Such a legal promise as part of the constitution had never been made in the history for any nation.  And despite it being there, the reality was very different.

When we look at Donald Trump today, he mirrors the emergence of Barry Goldwater.  A Republican who had beaten the entire field of Republican nominees in a hard won primary but lost the final elections to Lyndon Johnson by a landslide.  Except in this case, despite losing the elections by 3 million votes, he won the electoral college votes – enough to get him to White House.

He himself may not have started out as a racist bigot, but his entire support and close selections wreak of racism and white supremacist mindset.  He has not just picked up fight with Senator Lewis just around Martin Luther King day, but even stayed away from anything real to commemorate the event properly.

He is an umbrella under which the racists and the bigots stand today.