Trump Says He ‘Admired’ MLK Hours After Touting Man Who Longs For Slave Days, Internet Rages

After Helping Roy Moore, Donald Trump Invokes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As Influence

It probably came as no surprise when Republican Donald Trump gave his full-throated endorsement to accused pedophile Roy Moore in the Alabama special election. Trump has many accusers of his own so the embrace was not particularly shocking.

But when Trump talks about where he gets his erratic ideology, we would not expect certain historical figures to be mentioned as influences. And during his uncomfortable speech at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, on Saturday, he brought up one man he claims he “studied” and “admired” that doesn’t seem to fit: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Related: Gay marriage “even worse” than slavery, says GOP Senate hopeful Roy Moore

Fox News posted the president’s quote regarding King on Twitter:

.@POTUS: "Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr [is] a man that I've studied and watched and admired for my entire life." pic.twitter.com/3J3rd2ryx7

— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 9, 2017

Trump’s appearance comes half a day after stumping for Alabama Republican Roy Moore during his rally in Pensacola, Florida. He urged the crowd to “get out and vote for Roy Moore”, despite numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against the candidate.

Moore also drew controversy during the Republican primary for suggesting the last time America was “great” was during the time of slavery. The Los Angeles Times reported his comments at the time:

In response to a question from one of the only African-Americans in the audience — who asked when Moore thought America was last “great” — Moore acknowledged the nation’s history of racial divisions, but said: “I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another…. Our families were strong, our country had a direction.”

The clear hypocrisy did not go unnoticed by Twitter users. People quickly jumped on the eyebrow-raising statement.

@realDonaldTrump is having a hard time making this speach, he doesn't believe anything he's saying.

— Fresh Take Daily (@1TerryFox) December 9, 2017

As an FYI, neither he nor Frederick Douglass are currently alive, in case Fox and Friends didn't mention it this morning.

— James Janison (@JJanison) December 9, 2017

Last night @realDonaldTrump you campaigned for an alleged pedophile who is nostalgic for the slave days. You may have studied Martin Luther King, but you haven’t learned anything from him.

— Tracy (@surfgirl64) December 9, 2017

Dont let this distract you from trump calling white nationalist marchers "very fine people"

— Dan Chapman (@ElDanMan86) December 9, 2017

Related: Roy Moore Has A Theory About Why So Many Women Say He’s A Creepy Pervy Abuser

He's confusing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with the Dr. King who put his crappy dentures in…

— No Ordinary Cat (@InTheLineOfLucy) December 9, 2017

In other words, get Dr. King's name out of your Roy Moore loving, KKK-defending mouth

— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) December 9, 2017

Oh for F*cks sakes. This guy got full-on busted for housing discrimination in NYC and now he wants to claim he's an admirer of the Great Doctor King?

— Patriotic Moose&Lamb (@GinoKusa) December 9, 2017

The only person you’ve admired for your entire life is….YOU.

— JJKlauber (@PolitiksAside) December 9, 2017

Donald Trump has already made plenty of statements completely contradictory to the ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But that clearly is not going to stop him from pretending like he is a student of the civil rights icon.

I guess we can toss this onto the mountain of other falsehoods this administration has fed the American people. And that mountain is not likely to stop growing any time soon.

Featured image via Drew Angerer/Getty Images.