Al Sharpton criticizes Trump’s ‘secret’ visit to MLK monument

The Rev. Al Sharpton on Monday criticized President Trump’s unannounced visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., questioning why it was “secret.”

“I honestly don’t believe [Trump and Vice President Pence] intended to do anything for Dr. King’s birthday,” he said during an appearance on MSNBC, adding that he believes the visit was only “reacting to the fact that all of us were attacking [Trump].”

“Who goes to a memorial in secret? Why wouldn’t it have been on the schedule if they intended to do it?” Sharpton argued. “You don’t just decide, ‘I’m going to privately get the vice president to sneak by Dr. King’s memorial to surprise’ — surprise who? The monuments?”

“I don’t believe [Trump & Pence] honestly intended to do anything for Dr. King’s birthday… Why wouldn’t it have been on the schedule if they intended to do it? You don’t just decide you’re going to… sneak by Dr. King’s memorial.” – @TheRevAl w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/D21tZrghYE

— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) January 21, 2019

{mosads}Trump and Pence visited the memorial Monday morning despite Trump previously having no events listed on his public schedule for the day.

Trump and Pence laid a wreath during their visit to the memorial, which reportedly lasted two minutes.

Trump recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day in a tweet earlier Monday.

“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,” Trump tweeted.

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 https://t.co/pEaVpCB8M4

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019