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 followers 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 justification.
“When I see the ‘Make America Great Again,’ my comment is, do you accept that could potentially be construed as a racist comment,” the actor said.
Cranston told CNN anchor Chris Wallace that he believes those who use the phrase don’t know there was never a time when America was great 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 followers could be construed as racist
‘Make America Great Again’ is the saying of former President Donald Trump and his followers
Cranston sat down with Wallace on his show ‘Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?’ to discuss his political and moral beliefs, after which the conversation turned to the controversial phrase.
The actor said most of the people he speaks to are confused and surprised by his question about the bias of the saying.
“Most people — lots and lots of people — go ‘how can that be racist,'” the actor said.
From an African American experience, when was it ever great in America for the African American? When was it great?’ asked Cranston.
“So when you make it great again, they’re not there,” 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 faith and their privilege.
“So it’s, 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 started after Wallace brought up Cranston’s recent “struggle” on Bill Maher’s podcast “Club Random” about critical race theory and whether or not it should be taught in schools.
Despite disagreeing on the term “arguing,” the six-time Emmy Award winner doubled down on his ideals regarding CRT in the classroom.
Similar to his reaction during the chat with Maher, Cranston said he believes the US has never fully admitted its wrongdoings when it comes to slavery and the mistreatment of minorities.
Cranston (left) with “Breaking Bad” costar Aaron Paul (Aaron Paul) said he believes people don’t realize there was never a time in American history that was “great” for African Americans
The actor said most of the people he speaks to are confused and surprised by his question about the bias of the saying
From an African American experience, when was it ever great in America for the African American? When was it great?’ asked Cranston
“So when you make it great again, they’re not there,” said the six-time Emmy winner
The “Your Honor” star said he believes the United States’ insistence on taking no blame for its actions is the root cause of inequality to this day.
“I think Germany looked at their history of involvement in the wars – one and two – and embraced it and said, ‘This is where we went wrong. This is how it went wrong. This is why it can’t go wrong.’ again,” Cranston told Wallace.
And I think they’ve done a very commendable job of that. But the United States really doesn’t have that. You present it and say, well, 400 years of slavery, yes, but… we move on,” he continued.
“No, let’s talk about it for real. How did that happen? How did we get to the point of treating other people like slaves,” Cranston said.
In his January interview with Maher, Cranston argued that critical race theory is “essential” in schools as it explores how race, racism, and the slave trade have influenced government and social activities.
“It’s been 400 damn years we’ve been dealing with this, and our country still hasn’t taken responsibility,” Cranston said.
“What for?” Maher asked.
“For the history of systemic racism in this country.”
“What else should we do?” Maher asked.
“Well, I mean, for starters, I think critical race theory is essential for teaching.”
“It depends on what you mean by that,” Maher said.
“I mean learning how racial trafficking and racism are systemic in everything we’ve done in government, in social activities,” Cranston replied.
Actor Bryan Cranston, pictured, stated that he believes critical race theory is essential in schools to understand the country’s systemic racism
But Bill Maher, pictured, argued that CRT is a catchall term and teaching children that they are oppressors introduces ideas that are inappropriate for their age
The teaching of CRT in schools has proven controversial and often led to protests (file)
Critical race theory is a way of looking at how race and racism influence society and how it is 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 heavily advocated, both for and against, with those on the left saying it teaches the most truthful version of history, including the most objectionable parts.
However, those on the right say CRT teaches impressionable kids 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.