Donald Trump hosted an event at the White House this morning, and the new president took some time to honor Black History Month, which begins today. When he stuck to the notes that someone had clearly prepared for him, the comments were largely fine. When Trump strayed from the notes and said what was on his mind, the message was … problematic.



For example, here’s how the president reflected on the life of Martin Luther King Jr.,

“Last month, we celebrated the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose incredible example is unique in American history. You read all about Dr. Martin Luther King a week ago when somebody said I took the statue out of my office, and it turned out that was fake news. Fake news. The statue is cherished. It’s one of the favorite things … but they said the statue, the bust of Dr. Martin Luther King was taken out of the office. And uh, it was never even touched. So, I think it was a disgrace, but that’s the way the press is. Very unfortunate.”

In other words, when Trump thinks of MLK, the president thinks of an incident in which he was personally slighted by a reporter who made a mistake. On Black History Month, King’s legacy matters, but what really matters is how much Trump dislikes the press.



From there, the president moved on to highlighting some prominent African Americans from history.

“Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who has done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice. Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and millions more black Americans who made America what it is today. A big impact.”