Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:47 pm
Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech after she received the Cecil B. Demille Award to speak out against Donald Trump and defend press freedom at the Golden Globes.
Video of Streep’s speech:
At tonight's #GoldenGlobes we honor Hollywood legend Meryl Streep with the prestigious Cecil B. Demille Award. pic.twitter.com/dxpeCDNXY6
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— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 9, 2017
The greatest actor of our time made a powerful speech that called out Trump for mocking a disabled reporter, “There was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hooks in my heart, not because it was good. There was nothing good about it, but it was effective, and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart was I saw it, and I still can’t get it out of my head.”
Streep continued, “Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”
She made a plea for the free press, “We need the principled press to hold power to account. To call him on the carpet for every outrage. That’s why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our Constitution. So I only ask the famously well-heeled Hollywood press, and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists. Because we’re going to need them going forward, and they’ll need us to safeguard the truth.”
Meryl Streep said what had to be said. Her speech was the first overtly political act of a high profile person using her platform to speak out against the president-elect, but she will definitely not be the last.
Streep’s speech should inspire other Americans to use their voices to speak out. If we don’t speak out, we are enabling the behavior of this president.
The nation can’t ignore him. Trump can’t be rationalized away. The American people must follow the lead of Meryl Streep. Be brave. Speak out, and never be intimidated by hate.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
