The last time the presidential inauguration and our celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. occurred on the same day was in 1997, almost 30 years ago. And back in 1997, using the words “aligned” or “merged” to describe the coincidence of the calendar was appropriate. It was easy to see how President Clinton’s positive and forward-looking “bridge to the 21st century” aligned with and merged with Dr. King’s calming reminder that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Today, the words “crashed” or “collided” far better describe the two dates coinciding. Any hopeful comparisons of Donald Trump’s return to the White House with the life and values of MLK demean Dr. King’s memory.
Dr. King’s short life was a lesson in seeking justice by shining a light on injustice and discrimination and refusing to accept either. He confronted hate with courage, love, and reason. He bore hardship and persecution. He was harassed and imprisoned for beliefs and not actions. His home was bombed, and his family was threatened. Yet he defied his fears and lived his faith in such a way that God was reflected in his work. He knew, preached, and taught that our nation only rises when all its citizens are lifted.
Donald Trump’s long, garish life is a calamity of self-indulgence and indifference to others. He was born into wealth and privilege and then exploited and abused every advantage given. Bankruptcies, colossal debt, and overt corruption define his financial empire far better than any business acumen.
Trump has an undeniable ability to entertain and communicate but uses it to touch and mobilize the worst instincts in human nature. He is incapable of putting our country or any person in it above his selfish interests. His movement and his political success stand on the principle of dividing Americans against each other and on the pillars of hate, resentment, and racism. Donald Trump twists and bends backward the arc of the moral universe.
So as we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today and see in him the best of us, don’t be tempted to look hopefully at the contemporaneous inauguration of Donald Trump and extend that goodwill and hopefulness to him. Dr. King was truly a man of God. Donald Trump is a goddamn disgrace.
Matt Angle is the Director of the Lone Star Project. Prior to founding the Lone Star Project, Angle spent over 20 years as a congressional staff member, during which he served as Chief of Staff for former Texas Congressman Martin Frost, Director of the US House Democratic Caucus, and Director of the US Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
