Senate candidate Roy Moore shared his nostalgia for the days of slavery at a campaign rally in September, claiming families were united before the practice was made illegal in the U.S.--despite historical accounts of families being torn apart as they were auctioned off as slaves. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Trump-Endorsed Roy Moore Condemned for Reminiscing Fondly About 'Great' Era of US Slavery
Alabama Republican candidate Roy Moore claimed that "families were united" before slavery was outlawed
Trump critics on social media were stunned Thursday night when comments that the president's pick for Alabama's Senate race, Roy Moore, made about slavery in September resurfaced online.
At a rally in Florence, Alabama, Moore told an African-American audience member that the last time America was "great" was when slavery was legal.
"I think it was great at the time when families were united," Moore said. "Even though we had slavery, they cared for one another...Our families were strong, our country had a direction."
The Republican candidate's comments were the subject of a tweet by former Obama Justice Department official Eric Columbus. The post garnered thousands of retweets within hours.
Many on social media denounced Moore's revisionist framing, noting that many families were forcibly separated to suit the desires of white households before slavery was outlawed.
At the same rally, Moore referred to Native Americans and Asian-Americans as "reds and yellows."
The Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump have officially backed the former judge, who made the comments weeks before the first of nine women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct. Two of the women have stated that he molested or sexually assaulted them when they were 14 and 15 years old and he was an adult.
As of Tuesday, Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, was leading him by four points in a poll by Big League-Gravis. But the same poll also found that 34 percent of about 1,200 Alabama voters did not believe the allegations of sexual abuse by Moore while 24 percent were undecided.
The White House has attempted to play both sides of the issue, with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders telling reporters that the allegations were "very troubling," while Trump called Moore on Monday to offer his official endorsement.
On Twitter, some argued that Moore's outrageous claims about slavery and his racist rhetoric are exactly in line with Trump's agenda to "Make America Great Again."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Trump critics on social media were stunned Thursday night when comments that the president's pick for Alabama's Senate race, Roy Moore, made about slavery in September resurfaced online.
At a rally in Florence, Alabama, Moore told an African-American audience member that the last time America was "great" was when slavery was legal.
"I think it was great at the time when families were united," Moore said. "Even though we had slavery, they cared for one another...Our families were strong, our country had a direction."
The Republican candidate's comments were the subject of a tweet by former Obama Justice Department official Eric Columbus. The post garnered thousands of retweets within hours.
Many on social media denounced Moore's revisionist framing, noting that many families were forcibly separated to suit the desires of white households before slavery was outlawed.
At the same rally, Moore referred to Native Americans and Asian-Americans as "reds and yellows."
The Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump have officially backed the former judge, who made the comments weeks before the first of nine women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct. Two of the women have stated that he molested or sexually assaulted them when they were 14 and 15 years old and he was an adult.
As of Tuesday, Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, was leading him by four points in a poll by Big League-Gravis. But the same poll also found that 34 percent of about 1,200 Alabama voters did not believe the allegations of sexual abuse by Moore while 24 percent were undecided.
The White House has attempted to play both sides of the issue, with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders telling reporters that the allegations were "very troubling," while Trump called Moore on Monday to offer his official endorsement.
On Twitter, some argued that Moore's outrageous claims about slavery and his racist rhetoric are exactly in line with Trump's agenda to "Make America Great Again."
Trump critics on social media were stunned Thursday night when comments that the president's pick for Alabama's Senate race, Roy Moore, made about slavery in September resurfaced online.
At a rally in Florence, Alabama, Moore told an African-American audience member that the last time America was "great" was when slavery was legal.
"I think it was great at the time when families were united," Moore said. "Even though we had slavery, they cared for one another...Our families were strong, our country had a direction."
The Republican candidate's comments were the subject of a tweet by former Obama Justice Department official Eric Columbus. The post garnered thousands of retweets within hours.
Many on social media denounced Moore's revisionist framing, noting that many families were forcibly separated to suit the desires of white households before slavery was outlawed.
At the same rally, Moore referred to Native Americans and Asian-Americans as "reds and yellows."
The Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump have officially backed the former judge, who made the comments weeks before the first of nine women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct. Two of the women have stated that he molested or sexually assaulted them when they were 14 and 15 years old and he was an adult.
As of Tuesday, Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, was leading him by four points in a poll by Big League-Gravis. But the same poll also found that 34 percent of about 1,200 Alabama voters did not believe the allegations of sexual abuse by Moore while 24 percent were undecided.
The White House has attempted to play both sides of the issue, with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders telling reporters that the allegations were "very troubling," while Trump called Moore on Monday to offer his official endorsement.
On Twitter, some argued that Moore's outrageous claims about slavery and his racist rhetoric are exactly in line with Trump's agenda to "Make America Great Again."