If Trump were to listen to congressional lawmakers, he would likely reference King during his inaugural speech as a moment to reflect on national unity.
“Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most visionary and influential leaders who has been a catalyst of progress for our nation. If it were me, I would acknowledge Dr. King,” said Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the sole Black Republican in the upper chamber, in a statement. “Americans of all races and backgrounds elected President Trump with the hope for a brighter future, not just for themselves, but for generations to come. As we look to strengthen our country and create opportunity for every American, Dr. King’s dream is right there alongside our pursuits.”
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“It’d be wonderful if you did. You can’t come up with a much better symbol of unity than Martin Luther King. Jr, and it’d be a great opportunity to highlight that. And I suspect he will,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) told the Washington Examiner.
But whether Trump will invoke King’s name during his inaugural speech remains to be seen. His transition team did not explicitly say he would mention King in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
“President Trump’s historic 60th inauguration will be very monumental in turning a new leaf and entering the Golden age of America,” said Janiyah Thomas, black media engagement director for the Trump campaign. “As we reflect on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, it is important for us as Americans to remember the wise words that Dr. King bestowed upon us that ‘We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools,’ and President Trump will be the President to restore unity to our great country on January 20th.”
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Several congressional Democrats including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) said they were skipping the inauguration, choosing instead to honor the late civil rights icon.
Former first lady Michelle Obama is also skipping Trump’s inauguration, although her office did not give an explicit reason for her absence.
Yet, the president-elect could signal that his second administration would focus on reuniting the nation after a bruising election cycle which say the GOP rail against diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Trump made historic inroads with black voters, particularly black male voters, during the 2024 cycle which helped him vanquish Vice President Kamala Harris.
Part of that success may be attributed to several high-profile black lawmakers, including Sen. Scott, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. John James (R-MI), and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), who campaigned in several cities in battleground states on behalf of Trump.
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Donalds said that while he didn’t know exactly what Trump would say during the inauguration, he was receptive to Trump mentioning the significance of the holiday. “I wouldn’t see why not. I think it would be good,” Donalds said.
“Martin Luther King was a great American hero. He’s a unifier and right now, I believe that the country needs unity. President Trump, I believe, will bring us together,” said James.
The president-elect garnered 25% of the black male vote, according to an Associated Press VoteCast survey. The survey also showed that roughly three in 10 black men under 45 voted for him last November.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) also suggested the inauguration speech would be an ideal time to reference King as the nation recovers from the chaos of 2024.
“Number one, it just seems like a logical thing to do. But number two, I think President Trump has done a great job expanding the reach of his political support, including among African Americans,” Cornyn told the Washington Examiner. “But I don’t think the appreciation for Martin Luther King Jr is limited to people of a certain color or race. I think he’s to be admired by all of us.”
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Michael Ceraso, a Democratic strategist who has worked on multiple presidential campaigns, predicted Trump will likely reference King on Monday as an attempt to connect himself to American historical icons.
“[Trump] does appreciate the impact and reach of MLK and I think he is consistently trying to figure out how he can have reach and impact of that magnitude in so many different ways,” said Ceraso.
During an August press conference, Trump suggested his crowd size at the Jan. 6, 2021, for the “Stop the Steal” rally surpassed King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington.
“Nobody’s spoken to crowds bigger than me. If you look at Martin Luther King, when he did his speech, his great speech, and you look at ours, same real estate, same everything, same number of people, if not, we had more,” Trump said. “And they said he had a million people, but I had 25,000 people.”
However, Dr. Alveda King, a niece of King, told the Washington Examiner in a statement that Trump’s inauguration coming on the same day as the federal holiday of her uncle was a moment for the nation to “come together.”
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“’When peripherals collide, convergence is imminent.’ The coincidence of the U.S. presidential inauguration, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the March for Life is no accident,” said Alveda King, also the chair of the Center for the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute.
“I urge all Americans—united as one human race and blood, from the womb to the tomb and beyond—to come together in prayer for our nation as we step into this new season of hope and promise,” she continued. “Through our prayers, our hope, and our unwavering commitment, we can find solace in the fact that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
