Martin Luther King III asked President-elect Donald Trump to unify the United States, specifically calling on the incoming president to talk to “everybody” on both sides of the political aisle.
Trump’s inauguration on Monday will also fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the day the nation reflects and honors the civil rights advocate. Ahead of Trump’s speech for the inauguration, King described how the president-elect has claimed to want to create “some form of unity” in the country, to which he argued that Trump needs to be “in dialogue” with everyone, even if it means only making some people content with how he intends to unify the country.
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“Don’t keep the door closed and say, ‘No, we’re not going to ever do that,’ because that’s only going to be counterproductive,” King said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “If you really want to bring the nation together so that it is the manifestation of what we call ourselves, the United States of America, we’re not reflective of the United States of America right this moment, in my judgment.”
King was then asked what he would tell people who feel as if they cannot engage in discussion on their political differences, to which he argued “we don’t have the luxury” of not engaging in these debates. He continued that “we are so much better when we are working together,” and encouraged people to “make ourselves available,” even if they disagree with the current direction of the country.
Following the 2024 election, Dr. Bernice King, King Jr.’s youngest daughter, said she was “glad” Trump’s inauguration was being held on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, arguing it is a reminder for people to fight for democracy “in the spirit of my father.” It comes as Trump was not her preferred choice for the White House in last year’s election.
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Ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Monday, the incoming president is hosting a victory rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on Sunday afternoon. The rally will feature an appearance from X CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk, as well as performances from Kid Rock, The Village People, and Billy Ray Cyrus.
The inauguration will be the first one since former President Ronald Reagan’s 1985 inauguration to be held indoors, with the decision being made in response to expected freezing temperatures. The musical talent featured at this indoor inauguration will include Carrie Underwood, opera singer Christopher Macchio, and “God Bless the USA” artist Lee Greenwood.
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