Bryan Cranston on the 'Make America Great Again' slogan: 'Do you accept that that could possibly be construed as a racist remark?'
Bryan Cranston had social media buzzing Monday following his appearance on the latest episode of CNN's Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?, especially for what he said in the last few minutes.
"When I see the 'Make America Great Again,'" he said of former President Donald Trump's slogan, "my comment is, 'Do you accept that that could possibly be construed as a racist remark?' And most people, a lot of people go, 'How could that be racist? Make America Great Again?' I say, just ask yourself from an African American experience, when was it ever great in America for the African American? When was it great? So if you're making it great again, it's not including them."
He said it's a reminder for people to "open up and accept the possibilities that our privilege has created blind spots for us. And maybe I haven't seen what is really happening in all my years."
Cranston has been a vocal opponent of Trump in the past, even threatening to leave the country if the then-candidate were elected — something that Barbra Streisand, Chelsea Handler and others said as well.
He was applauded and criticized online for his latest opinion.
Bryan Cranston is the perfect example of using your privilege to spell things out logically and clearly. Please listen to his assessment of why MAGA is inherently racist. Bravo. #MondayMorning pic.twitter.com/qaz9L3lEOU
— Malynda Hale (@MalyndaHale) February 27, 2023
Bryan Cranston is an absolute legend.
“MAGA is a racist remark. From the African American perspective, when was America great?”pic.twitter.com/brjHnbZIMG— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) February 27, 2023
Bryan Cranston hits the nail on the head regarding the "Make America Great Again" movement.
Just because white Americans think that the past was "great" doesn't mean it was to ALL Americans. Civil rights in this nation have been progressively moving forward, and although… https://t.co/1oabQkKuht pic.twitter.com/7I7Uxb6Lci— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 27, 2023
This is precisely what I refer to as progressive self-flagellation. Yes, slavery is an indelible part of American history @BryanCranston. But it would be difficult to find a society TODAY that is less racist than the United States. Regrettably, slavery has been the norm https://t.co/iJT8Oa1004
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) February 26, 2023
The Breaking Bad alum was asked about about having discussed critical race theory with Bill Maher this month on Maher's Club Random podcast.
"I think it's imperative that it's taught, that we look at our history much the same I think that Germany has looked at their history, involvement in the wars, one and two, and embrace it. And say this where we went wrong, this is how it went wrong, and this is why it can't go wrong again," Cranston, 66, told Wallace. "And I think they have done a very commendable job in doing so, but the United States really hasn't. You present it and say, 'Well, 400 years of slavery, but… we're moving on, we're moving on.' And it's like, No, let's really discuss it. How did that happen? How did we get to a point where we treated other human beings as slaves? And we're OK with that?"
