Bryan Cranston Says Trump’s Make America Great Again Slogan Is Racist
>
‘Breaking Bad’ actor Bryan Cranston says he believes the phrase ‘Make America Great Again’, used by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, is racist.
The actor, who is currently promoting the upcoming season of his show ‘Your Honor,’ sat down with CNN on Sunday and explained his rationale.
“When I see ‘Make America Great Again,’ my comment is, do you accept that that could be construed as a racist comment?” the actor said.
Cranston told CNN host Chris Wallace that he thinks those who use the phrase don’t know there was never a time when America was good for African-Americans.
‘Breaking Bad’ actor Bryan Cranston says he believes the phrase ‘Make America Great Again’, used by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, could be perceived as racist
‘Make America Great Again’ is the phrase used by former President Donald Trump and his supporters
Cranston sat down with Wallace on his show, ‘Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace?’ to discuss his political and moral beliefs, which is when the conversation turned into the controversial line.
The actor said that most people he talks to are confused and puzzled by his question about the saying’s bias.
“Most people, a lot of people, say ‘how can that be racist?'” the actor said.
‘From an African American experience, when was it great in America for African Americans? When was it cool? Cranston asked.
“So if you’re doing great again, you don’t include them,” he continued.
Cranston went on to say that he uses the conversation to try to open the eyes and point of view of others to his own beliefs and privileges.
“So it’s to teach us in the waking world to open up and accept the possibilities that our privilege has created blind spots for us,” he told Wallace.
The conversation began after Wallace brought up Cranston’s recent ‘fight’ on Bill Maher’s ‘Club Random’ podcast about critical race theory and whether or not it should be taught in schools.
Despite disagreeing with the term ‘fight’, the six-time Emmy Award winner doubled down on his ideals regarding CRT in the classroom.
Similar to his response during the conversation with Maher, Cranston said he believes the US has never fully acknowledged its wrongdoing when it comes to slavery and the mistreatment of minorities.
Cranston (left) with ‘Breaking Bad’ co-star Aaron Paul (Aaron Paul) said he thinks people don’t realize there was never a time in American history that was ‘cool’ for African-Americans.
The actor said that most people he talks to are confused and puzzled by his question about the saying’s bias.
‘From an African American experience, when was it great in America for African Americans? When was it cool? cranston asked
“So if you’re doing great again, you don’t include them,” the six-time Emmy winner said.
The ‘Your Honor’ star said she believes America’s insistence on taking no blame for its actions is the root of inequality to this day.
“I think Germany has looked at its history of involvement in wars one and two and accepts it and says, ‘This is where we went wrong. This is how it went wrong. That’s why it can’t go wrong again.” Cranston told Wallace.
‘And I think they’ve done a very commendable job of doing that. But the United States really hasn’t. You introduce it and you say, well, 400 years of slavery, yes, but… we move on,’ he continued.
‘No, let’s discuss it for real. How did that happen? How did we get to a point where we treat other human beings like slaves, Cranston said.
In his January interview with Maher, Cranston argued that critical race theory is “essential” in schools, as it examines how race, racism and the slave trade have affected government and social activities.
“It’s been 400 fucking years that we’ve dealt with this, and our country still hasn’t taken responsibility or accountability,” Cranston said.
‘So that?’ Maher asked.
‘Because of the history of systemic racism in this country.’
‘What should we do more?’ Maher asked.
‘Well, I mean, on the one hand, critical race theory, I think it’s essential to teach.’
“It depends on what you mean by that,” Maher said.
“I mean, teach how racial commerce and racism is systemic in everything we’ve done in government, in social activities,” Cranston responded.
Actor Bryan Cranston, pictured, stated that he believes critical race theory in schools is essential to understanding systemic racism in the country.
But Bill Maher, pictured here, argued that CRT is a catch-all term and that teaching children that they are oppressive is introducing ideas that are not age-appropriate.
Teaching CRT in schools has proven controversial, often leading to protests (file)
Critical race theory is a way of looking at how race and racism affect society and how they are intertwined with other forms of oppression such as class and gender.
Proponents argue that race, like class and gender, is used in subtle ways to maintain systems of power and privilege.
The concept has been hotly contested both for and against, with those on the left saying it teaches the truest version of the story, including the most objectionable parts.
Those on the right, however, say that CRT teaches impressionable children to “hate America.” The controversial theory has even been banned in some states, including Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis passed a ‘Stop WOKE Act’ in 2022.