Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:34 pm
Donald Trump used his power as President-elect to attack the cast of Hamilton and place a chilling effect on free speech by falsely claiming that the stars of the musical were rude to Vice President-elect Mike Pence.
The audience booed the VP-elect when he walked in to attend a performance of Hamilton.
After the show, Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr, addressed Pence:
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Dixon said, “Vice President-Elect Pence, I see you walking out, but I hope you hear us, just a few more moments. There is nothing to boo here ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing to boo here. We are all here sharing a story of love. We have a message for you sir and we hope that you will hear us out. We sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir. But we truly hope, that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”
Trump went ballistic on Twitter and attacked the cast of Hamilton:
Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing.This should not happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
The Theater must always be a safe and special place.The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
Trump’s tweets were a disgrace to the presidency. He is already using the power of the office that he will hold to attempt to silence dissent. The cast of Hamilton was very respectful to the Vice President-elect. The cast can’t control how the crowd reacted to Pence, but they did tell the crowd not to boo him.
Instead of using the platform that he has to unite the country, President-elect Trump is trying to silence free speech. Watch the video above and read the transcript. The cast of Hamilton has nothing to apologize for.
Trump’s tweets were unpresidential. They also revealed how he would use the White House to attack free speech.
In Donald Trump’s America, disagreeing with the administration will not be tolerated, and expressions of disapproval will be responded to by the man occupying the Oval Office.
This is not what America was, but it is what America is becoming under Donald Trump.
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
