Bernice King has spent her life honoring her father’s memory. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most respected figures in American history. So, it’s easy to see why Bernice King was upset by Donald Trump’s recent comments. The Presidential nominee compared himself to MLK during a speech, saying he drew bigger crowds than MLK did in the 1960s. Bernice King responded to these remarks on August 9.
Trump’s comments came during a discussion about the January 6 insurrection. He claimed the largest crowd he ever spoke to was that day. He compared it to MLK’s famous speech, saying, “Same place, same everything. Same number of people, if not more.” Many Americans were shocked by this comparison, especially given Dr. King’s reputation for peaceful protests versus the chaos of the insurrection. For many, Trump and Dr. King’s approaches are complete opposites.
Bernice King didn’t stay quiet. She took to Twitter to correct Trump and protect her father’s legacy. She reposted the clip of Trump claiming his crowd was bigger and added a photo of her father. “Absolutely not true,” she tweeted. “I really wish people would stop using my father to support false claims.” The facts support her. Trump claimed more people attended his event, but estimates say 53,000 people were there. In contrast, Dr. King’s March on Washington in 1963 drew 250,000 people. Clearly, Trump’s claim was far from accurate.
This isn’t the first time Bernice King has spoken against Trump. In 2018, she criticized him during an event at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. She told people not to be misled by Trump’s words or let them shape their view of American values. “We must ensure that the nations of the world don’t see the President’s words as a true reflection of America,” she said. “Our collective voice must always be louder than one that doesn’t honor my father’s legacy.”
