President Trump on Friday held a commemorative ceremony for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ahead of the federal holiday Monday in honor of the groundbreaking civil rights pioneer. But what should have been a routine celebration of one of America's most vaunted historical figures quickly turned awkward, given the president, not 24 hours earlier, had reportedly insulted a swath of African nations — and maybe Haiti too — as "shithole countries."
Before signing a proclamation for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Trump praised King for his work. "Today we celebrate Dr. King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear: that no matter what the color of our skin, or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God," Trump said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
10 upcoming albums to stream in the frosty winterThe Week Recommends Stay warm and curled up with a selection of new music from Snoop Dogg, Ringo Starr, Tate McRae and more
-
David Sacks: the conservative investor who will be Trump's crypto and AI czarIn the Spotlight Trump appoints another wealthy ally to oversee two growing — and controversial — industries
-
The future of fluoridated water is up for debateThe Explainer The oral benefits are watery
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
