Bryan Cranston Doubles Down That MAGA Slogan Has Racist Implications
Actor Bryan Cranston, who shot to international fame playing Walter White in “Breaking Bad,” reiterated his belief that the “Make America Great Again” slogan has racist implications.
Cranston spoke on CNN with host Chris Wallace when making his remarks. Wallace asked him about his recent conversation with Bill Maher in which Cranston implied that the “Make America Great Again” slogan had racist implications.
“This conversation I had with Bill, we’re talking about critical race theory,” Cranston said to Wallace. “And 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 is where we went wrong. This is how it went wrong.”
“When I see the Make America Great Again, my comment is, do you accept that that could possibly be construed as a racist remark?” he continued. “And most people, a lot of people go, how could that be racist? Make America Great Again? I said so 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.”
Maher had protested Cranston’s supposition that Americans were innately racist, saying to him, “The people who are running things, I just don’t think that that’s — their mindset is ‘Let’s be racist to people of color.’”
“They don’t understand it but they are innately that way,” Cranston responded. “You recognize your experience. What we don’t recognize is the privilege, the advantage that you have. Look at Congress: look at the makeup of Congress. You cannot deny that older white men are the predominant factor in Congress.”
“It’s 400 f***ing years that we’ve dealt with this, and our country still has not taken responsibility or accountability,” Cranston declared.
“For what?” Wallace asked.
“For the history of the systemic racism that’s in this country,” Cranston insisted.
“What should we do more?” Wallace pressed.
“Well, I mean, for one thing, critical race theory, I think is essential to be teaching. … I mean, teaching how the race trade and racism is systemic in everything we’ve done in government, in social activities. It’s embedded in it,” Cranston told him.
“When you look at this guy’s hat, ‘Make America Great Again,’ what do you think about that?” Cranston asked Maher. “Would you … also accept that there’s a large swath of people in this camp and other people like him, who have no clue that that’s a dog whistle? That they think ‘Make America Great Again’ is for everyone? But when was it great? Let me ask you this: When was it great for African Americans in this country? When was it great?”
“Well, if you’re applying for college now, I would say now,” Maher replied.
