Civil rights leader Al Sharpton is getting roasted for comments he made aimed at criticizing former President Donald Trump.
Speaking about Trump’s indictment for his alleged involvement in plans to overturn the 2020 election, Sharpton said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Thursday, “One day, our children’s children will read American history, and can you imagine our reading that James Madison or Thomas Jefferson tried to overthrow the government so they could stay in power?”
“We’re looking at American history… The sad part about this to me is that this is not a man that is facing all this because he believed in a political position or political policy or cause. I’ve seen people go down the wrong side for a cause,” he continued.
Finally, Sharpton said, “This is all about him. This is narcissism with steroids and to think that he could get this whole country divided and split, and commit these crimes and have others commit crimes off his own self-aggrandizement, is as sick as it gets.”
Watch the video below:
“We’re looking at American history”
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 2, 2023
“Can you imagine our reading that James Madison or Thomas Jefferson tried to overthrow the government so they could stay in power?”
“This is narcissism with steroids”
-@TheRevAl on @Morning_Joe pic.twitter.com/qZqpZj6Zvp
It did not take long for conservatives to hop on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to dunk on Sharpton and suggest his knowledge of history was not too good.
Conservative commentator Ian Haworth wrote, “Pretty sure James Madison and Thomas Jefferson had no problems overthrowing governments.”
Pretty sure James Madison and Thomas Jefferson had no problems overthrowing governments.
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) August 2, 2023
“Oh I can definitely imagine reading that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson overthrew a corrupt government,” wrote The Federalist’s CEO Sean Davis.
Oh I can definitely imagine reading that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson overthrew a corrupt government. https://t.co/l2qIpqTrSh
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) August 2, 2023
Conservative writer Kingsley Cortes asked, “How is this real.”
How is this real https://t.co/mlhZztZPG7
— Kingsley Wilson (@KingsleyCortes) August 3, 2023
“How was that darn America founded again?” asked actor Nick Searcy.
He added, “Does anyone at [MSNBC] even history, bro?”
How was that darn America founded again, @TheRevAl?
— Nick Searcy, INSURRECTIONAL FILM & TELEVISION STAR (@yesnicksearcy) August 2, 2023
Does anyone at @msnbc even history, bro? https://t.co/9sH00gICqk
To be fair to these brave keyboard warriors, they are right: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were involved in overthrowing a tyrannical government.
But it was for the dream of creating a country that recognized and stood for the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They were seeking to throw off the bonds of a foreign, colonial power that did not give them representation and the same rights as English citizens.
They were not, by contrast, seeking to overthrow their own government because they got mad they lost a free and fair election, as Donald J. Trump did.
Trump’s alleged efforts were about his own ego and bruised feelings, Jefferson and Madison were engaged in an effort to make life better and freer for others. That is the difference, and it’s a big one.