Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended the hit broadway show Hamilton on Friday in New York City. The cast of the play used his presence as an opportunity to express their concern over the conservative administration that he and President-elect Donald Trump have promised America.
Following the performance, actor Brandon Victor Dixon appealed directly to Pence.
“We, sir—we—are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights,” he said. “We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”
The audience erupted in applause, but the Republican party had a different take on the incident. On Saturday morning, Donald Trump took to Twitter to condemn the “harassment” Pence faced while attending the play.
Trump posted again a few minutes later calling for the cast to issue an apology to Pence.
Dixon responded to Trump’s tweets saying “@realdonaldtrump conversation is not harassment. I appreciate @mike_pence for stopping to listen.” Pence appeared on Fox News on Sunday saying that the statement did not offend him. He even urged people to see the show he called “great.”
While rhetorically peaceful, the Hamilton cast’s statement is another fearful plea for Donald Trump’s America to remain inclusive, diverse and free. This statement follows a week of uncertainty as Trump and Pence work to place leaders in key roles within the White House. Many Americans are outraged over VP-elect Pence’s own political wrap sheet. He has historically been intolerant of the LGBTQ+ community and women’s reproductive rights. He has passed and supported bills keeping Americans from being employed based on race and religion and defunding Planned Parenthood.
The outcome of this year’s presidential election has left a significant amount of Americans fearful and worried about the future. Pleas such as this one give voice to these fears.
Watch the statement here.