Hours after he was blasted for not holding an event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at the White House, President Trump tweeted about the civil rights leader.
“Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God. #MLKDay,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday.
The posting contained a link to a White House statement from last Friday proclaiming Monday as a federal holiday.
“On this day, I encourage all Americans to recommit themselves to Dr. King’s dream by engaging in acts of service to others, to their community, and to our Nation,” the proclamation said.
Earlier, at a National Action Network breakfast honoring King, the Rev. Al Sharpton took Trump to task for not having a public event at the White House.
“There is no official event at the White House to celebrate Martin Luther King Day,” Sharpton said.
“This is an insult to the American people that the president of the United States does not officially recognize or give any ceremony for Dr. King,” he said.
Neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence had any public events planned, according to the White House.