Sharpton Critiques Trump’s Policies on MSNBC

On Thursday, Reverend Al Sharpton made an appearance on “Morning Joe” and accused President Donald Trump and the Republican Party of attempting to revert the nation to a more racially charged time. He linked the ongoing redistricting debate to Trump’s upcoming UFC event at the White House and his admiration for Andrew Jackson.

“Trump and others want to take us back to the America we fought to escape,” Sharpton remarked.

He suggested that Trump’s involvement in the UFC event connects to the larger issues surrounding the redistricting controversy. “It’s about the fight happening on the White House lawn,” Sharpton explained. “Events like the UFC harken back to a time when audiences cheered as people battled for their oppressors’ entertainment.”

Sharpton expressed that America’s 250th anniversary is not a joyful occasion for Black Americans, calling it “insane.” He emphasized, “They are literally going back in time.”

Co-host Mika Brzezinski connected Sharpton’s statements to immigration policies under Trump’s administration, noting, “Look at this attack; it’s vivid on the streets of America.”

Sharpton also referenced the decor of the Oval Office during Trump’s presidency as indicative of Trump’s political intentions. He mentioned, “One of the first things Trump did when he took office was hang a portrait of President Andrew Jackson,” linking Jackson’s legacy as a slave owner and supporter of the Dred Scott decision to Trump’s political message.

“Jackson was a president who owned slaves and appointed the judge responsible for the Dred Scott ruling,” Sharpton said. He questioned why Trump’s choice to display Jackson wasn’t challenged more at the time, adding, “Why didn’t someone ask him? I don’t recall learning about Jackson in school.”

Sharpton viewed Jackson’s image in the Oval Office as emblematic of a broader, more troubling agenda. “Why Jackson?” he wondered. “That’s the kind of country he wants us to revisit. We must resist this with all our strength.”

The scheduled UFC event, part of the nation’s 250th anniversary commemorations, is planned for June 14th on the South Lawn of the White House. Fox News reached out to the Trump administration for a comment but received no immediate response.